The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) announced the first day to complete the 2020 census online will be Thursday, March 12.
To fill out the 2020 Census questionnaire, visit my2020census.gov.
The online questionnaire is the quickest and easiest way to get counted in Illinois and can be accessed from a smart phone, tablet, laptop, computer and terminals at local libraries, IDHS officials said. The census is nine questions long and will take less than 10 minutes to complete.
“It is extremely important that everyone knows the implications of the census and gets counted in Illinois,” said IDHS Secretary Grace B. Hou. “Completing the census online will ensure that Illinoisans get both the representation and federal funding for the critical services that they deserve.”
An accurate count of Illinois’ population is essential to ensure the State receives the funding needed to properly care for its residents and provide critical services and programs. In 2015, Illinois received nearly $20 billion, or approximately $1,535 per capita, in federal assistance as part of 16 programs.
Failure to count every Illinois resident could impede the state’s ability to meet the needs of its residents. Even a 1 percent undercount would result in the loss of more than $19 million per year, for a decade, resulting in a total loss of $195 million.
The number of seats Illinois has in the U.S. House of Representatives for the next 10 years will be determined by the census count this year.
In June, Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order that established the Census Office within IDHS and an advisory panel to guide public outreach. The $29 million approved for 2020 Census efforts in Illinois is the largest per capita investment of any state in the nation this year, and is funded through the bipartisan FY20 budget. IDHS has already awarded $20 million dollars in grants to over 350 local and community organizations to reach every corner of Illinois.
For more information about the 2020 Census in Illinois and a listing of the community organizations that IDHS funded, visit census.illinois.gov.