MACOMB, IL -- The 2020 census, designed to be a snap shot of everyone living in the USA on April 1, will be on-line.
That was the word from Macomb's Community Development Coordinator John Bannon, who spoke July 17 to the Macomb League of Women Voters at a luncheon meeting.
Among his other duties, Bannon is coordinating the census for Macomb, hoping to reach everyone to keep the city's population over 20,000, including Western Illinois University students. Because they spend six months in Macomb, they should register there, he said.
The Census Bureau will send out a letter or postcard with the link to be filled out, he said. The link will work with computers, tablets and smart phones, he said. For the Luddites, there will be a phone number to call. If no reply is forthcoming after three mailings, a paper form finally will be mailed to those residents.
The form will be easy to complete, he said, with only seven questions. It will take only 10 minutes.The controversial citizenship question will not be on the form, he said.
People living in congregate settings such as nursing homes will be listed by the facility, he said. WIU is supposed to send a list of all residence hall occupants to the Census Bureau, but he's not sure how demographic information on them such as age and race will be obtained.
An audience member suggested a pizza party to encourage students to fill out the form as a group.
There will be publicity, as the state of Illinois is spending $29 million to get all the people registered, he said. The state is expecting to lose one Congressional seat and wants to hold it at that.
There's a state Complete Count committee and a local committee in Macomb, he said.
Big money is at stake. Illinois receives $1,500 per person for various federal projects such as roads, he said. "More money will help us all."
Macomb gets $150 per person from state taxes, he added, stressing the value of registering everyone.
The census results also are used to determine political boundaries such as Congressional districts.
The Census Bureau is hiring people to work, starting at more than $15 an hour, he said. Applications are on-line, he said.
-- Elaine Hopkins