The Montana Census Complete Count Committee has reintroduced a new website to help Montanans better understand the 2020 national census.

Emilie Ritter-Saunders, Director of Communications and Public Affairs for the Montana Department of Commerce said the website has information specific to Montana for the census.

“We’ve designed a user-friendly experience with improved navigation and easy to find resources so that folks can understand why it’s so important to respond to the census and how they do so,” said Ritter-Saunders. “The site is also focused on partner groups who are helping to spread that message. They can download public service messages, fact sheets and they can sign up to be a ‘be counted’ site.”

Ritter-Saunders explained why responding to the census is critically important to the state of Montana.

“Counting everyone in Montana is critical because it determines the state’s share of federal funding for the next decade,” she said. “It also can help determine if Montana will get another seat in Congress, and it also shapes voting districts in Montana, not just at the federal level, but also for school boards and city councils. These are decisions that will stick with Montana for a full decade, so counting everyone now had a huge impact on Montanans for the next ten years.”

Ritter-Saunders said much of the contact with the census will be online.

“Montanans will receive a post card in the mail around the middle of March inviting them to take part in the census, and they can do that online, by phone or through a paper form, and if you respond to that request before the middle or the end of April, then no one will come to your door to ask those questions,” she said. “That’s really the goal. We want folks to respond on their own so that census workers aren’t going door to door asking you to complete the census.”

Attached, you’ll find the list of questions that Montanans will be asked to complete the census.

 

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