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The Census Bureau put out an official statement that 2020’s count will be cut short a month, ending on September 30. The devastating consequences on Alaska will be felt for at least a decade. The Alaska Congressional Delegation needs to keep hear from you. Please join us in encouraging them to take action.
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We are concerned by this week’s changes to the timeline of the Census. Alaska currently has the lowest Census self-response rate in the nation. If the count is cut short now, we will suffer the largest consequences of any state, which will be reflected by a loss of billions of dollars flowing into our economy over the next decade.
Responding to the census is one of the most influential opportunities Alaskans have to empower our communities, rebuild our economy, and protect our rights COVID-19 has already caused unprecedented disruption to the 2020 Census, making it impossible for the Bureau to finish a complete count and compile its findings within the usual timeline. Census data is with us for a decade. Waiting four months for an accurate count leaves us nine years and eight months of accuracy. An inaccurate count, delivered earlier, means ten years of inaccuracy.
Ending the Census early will shortchange Alaska’s families and economy for the next decade. It undermines the accuracy of the count, and provides no tangible benefits to Alaskans, the public, or the Census Bureau.
Please do what you can to ensure the 2020 Census is not cut short, and can continue through October 31 as planned.
And Alaskans need to keep hearing from you. Consider: Making your statement public, posting on social media for others to see + echo, or forwarding this message to other communications partners who might find it helpful. We want every Alaskan to be counted, and the more we can reach, the better.
Thank you, everyone. While the Census may have become more of a roller coaster than any of us could have expected this year, the closer we get to the end, the more important it is to hang on tight.
— The Alaska Counts team