The city administrator of Wanamingo, Minn., is calling people he knows to help out with the 2020 census. Edina affirmed the right of counters to get into apartment buildings. Local leaders are drawing up plans to track down elusive residents at colleges, high-rises and even highway underpasses.
The once-in-a-decade task of counting every Minnesotan starts this spring and has to be wrapped up by the end of July. Just over three months remain before Census Day, April 1, the focal point of the nationwide count. More than 250 "complete count committees" across the state are developing plans to ensure everyone in Minnesota gets counted.
"I want people to understand that this is not just about filling out a government form," said state demographer Susan Brower. "This is about our communities and the health and well-being of the people who live in them. We've got this little opportunity to make sure that this count goes smoothly."
Census counts dictate things ranging from federal transportation spending to where retailers like Target locate their stores. This year's count has major political implications in Minnesota, which could lose one of its eight congressional seats depending on the outcome.
A tight job market in Minnesota is making it difficult to find enough workers to fill census jobs, however. The bureau recently had to raise pay rates in the state — up to $27.50 in Hennepin County — to woo 38,000 people it wants to apply for upward of 7,500 positions. It has reached about 39% of that goal so far, with job offers slated to begin next month. More information is available at 2020Census.gov/jobs.
The public awareness campaign will also kick into overdrive next month, when the bureau begins a $240 million advertising blitz to spread the word about the count.
Groups are developing their own ways of reaching average residents. Minneapolis organizers soon plan to embark on a "Census Sundays" effort to raise awareness among churchgoers. LeadMN, a group focused on community colleges, plans to visit 2,000 classrooms across the state beginning in late January to promote the census.
In small-town Wanamingo, City Administrator Michael Boulton called up several residents he knew might have some free time to work part-time for the census.