Montanans urged to self-report Census data

Montanans can now fill out their 2020 Census form online, by phone or by mail. Census data can be entered online at my2020census.gov, by phone at 1-844-330-2020 or via mail if a household has received a paper questionnaire. Households do not need to receive an official invitation to participate.

Due to COVID-19, the U.S. Census Bureau has suspended all field operations, and they do not mail to post office boxes or rural route addresses, so many Montanans may not be counted if they do not self-report. Montana reportedly has one of the lowest self-response rates in the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Census data will be used to allocate federal funding for the state over the next decade, shape local voting districts and determine whether Montana will get another representative in Congress. A Census study estimated the state will receive $20,000 over the decade for schools, healthcare, highways and other services for every Montana resident counted in the Census.

Montanans who have not received their Census ID can start the online questionnaire and then select the option “If you do not have a Census ID, click here” or call in their response. This option will ask one additional question about where a respondent will be on April 1, 2020, and then participants will be able to fill out the remainder of their form.