Local Complete Count Committee Chairs discuss new 2020 Census

(SOUTHWEST GEORGIA) – In a surprise announcement over the weekend, the deadline for the 2020 Census was moved back to its original date of October 31st.

Originally set to end September 30th, communities now have an extra 30 plus days to get every last person they can get counted for.

“Everybody probably knows somebody who hasn’t or might not have filled it out. And it’s important, it’s as important as voting. It’s a base civic duty to be counted,” says Albany Head of Planning and Development, Paul Forgey.

In communities like Colquitt County, their latest census numbers are just around 50% of county residents.

This is thanks in part due to a strong push through September to get people registered in person.

It’s something that if the new deadline stands, they’re going to continue it.

Colquitt’s Complete Count Chairman, Justin Cox says, “If that appeal gets squashed, and the deadline gets extended another 30 days, then certainly we’re going to ask the city to do that again. Because those days have counted some days as high as 60 people.”

The additional month to maximize the 2020 census count goes beyond necessary funding for communities to maintain infrastructure, the new extension could in some cases help at the state level with any final census counts.

Cox tells us, “We feel like we’ve had a population increase here in the last 10 years, and we need to get that count as accurate as possible, so that the increase in population has equal representation at the local, state, and federal level.”

If you haven’t filled out the 2020 Census, you can fill it out online.