'Essential to our state:' Gov. Evers creates Complete Count Committee for 2020 Census

MILWAUKEE -- Gov. Tony Evers on Monday, Oct. 28 signed an executive order creating a Complete Count Committee for the 2020 Census -- aimed at working to educate Wisconsinites on the importance of completing the 2020 census, develop outreach strategies to reach hard-to-count communities, and identify and reduce barriers that impede participation in the counting process.

“Ensuring a fair and accurate count in the 2020 census is essential to the future of our state, as it determines how more than $600 billion in federal funding will be distributed and how Wisconsin’s next electoral maps will be drawn,” said Gov. Evers in a news release. “At the end of the day, the census isn't just a headcount. It's about visibility, voice, and value, so we need to make sure every Wisconsinite is participating in the count and encouraging their family, friends, and neighbors to participate, too.”

The United States Census Bureau defines hard-to-count populations as children, immigrant, and refugee communities, low-income families, renters, and those who do not live in traditional housing, people of color, individuals with disabilities, and rural communities.

It is estimated that the hard-to-count population in Wisconsin is over 600,000 Wisconsinites.