MAG News

Every 10 years, the U.S. Census Bureau counts how many people are living in the United States, and uses that data to distribute $675 billion in federal funds to support programs in education, healthcare, transportation, parks and recreation services and many other important community resources. The census also is used to redraw legislative districts and determine Arizona’s representation in Washington, D.C.

For each person counted in Arizona, the state receives about $3,000, totaling more than $20 billion per year. Arizona also is likely to pick up a seat in Congress, bringing the state’s delegation to 10 members in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“The stakes couldn’t be higher,” says Goodyear City Manager Julie Arendall, who co-chairs MAG’s Regional Census Communication Group with Chandler City Manager Marsha Reed. “We’re one of the fastest growing regions in the country, and it’s critical to capture that growth and bring our fair share of federal resources and representation to our communities.”

iCount2020
MAG’s iCount2020 campaign is a regional public outreach initiative funded by member agencies. 

“We want everyone in the region to know that they count,” says Chandler City Manager Reed. “Through iCount2020, we intend to demonstrate how every woman, child and man has an impact on the future of the Maricopa region by participating in the 2020 Census. Our goal is for that awareness to lead to a complete and accurate count of all people living in the region.”
The iCount2020 campaign includes icount2020.info, an interactive and social media-friendly website in English and Spanish; targeted advertising across all media platforms to reach diverse audiences; and a public relations campaign to promote awareness and to educate and motivate people to complete and submit their census forms. 

How to Participate
The United States has counted its population each decade since 1790. Participating in the census is now easier than ever, as this is the first Internet census in history. By Census Day on April 1, 2020, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the census. There are three ways to participate: online, by phone or by mail. You can even respond on your mobile device. Each method takes fewer than 10 minutes to complete. The deadline to respond is June 30. However, census workers will begin following up in person with households that have not responded by April 30, 2020. 

How the Census Protects You
Your responses on the census form are safe, secure and protected by federal law. Answers can only be used to produce statistics, which helps guide funding for important community services such as road improvements, emergency services, hospitals and schools. By law, your information is protected from being shared with any person, organization, court, business or government agency, including law enforcement. 

Visit iCount2020.info to learn more about the regional campaign. Follow the regional efforts on Facebook.com/iCount2020official, Twitter @iCount2020 and Instagram @iCount2020Official.