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This summary recaps lessons learned from Alaska Counts, a statewide, multi-sector, nonpartisan education initiative spearheaded by the Alaska Census Working Group in preparation for the 2020 Census. Knowing that Alaska is one of the most difficult states to count in the constitutionally mandated decennial U.S. Census and that every business, nonprofit, and individual in Alaska is impacted by decisions that last a decade, the Working Group was formed to advocate for a fair and accurate count across Alaska – with an emphasis on the hardest places to get a full count. Even though we were thwarted by a global pandemic, our efforts will have a lasting impact on Alaska in the preservation and future use of all of the information, materials, translation, and programs we created for our state.
The importance of Census data cannot be understated. It is ubiquitous in our daily lives influencing federal funding for housing and healthcare, roads and other critical infrastructure; helping us plan for the future, from government entities to nonprofits and businesses; and allowing the process of redrawing legislative districts and local political boundaries that affect political representation for a decade.