$20 billion in federal funding comes to Illinois each year in dollars which are allocated by U.S. Census data. This critical funding supports vital programs like Medicaid, highway infrastructure, and programs that aid low-income households, rural communities, and communities of color. If Illinoisans are undercounted during the 2020 Census, fewer resources will come to the state. Additionally, since congressional seats are determined by Census data, an undercount will also have serious political ramifications.
Forefront formed the Illinois Count Me In 2020 program, a statewide coalition to do concentrated outreach in hard-to-count communities, provide safe spaces for self-reporting purposes and help educate and canvass for get-out-the-count efforts.
Every state gets one shot, once a decade, to get it right. This is our opportunity to work together to ensure a fair and accurate count in the 2020 decennial census. We have a lot of work ahead of us, and we need YOUR help in doing so. Let’s work together on our shot to get the count right.