We have until the end of the month to get as many Oklahomans counted in the Census as possible. Our participation rate will determine the percentage of certain federal funds Oklahoma receives over the next ten years, and we’ve fallen to 41st in the nation in participation. We’re in the bottom 10, which means we could lose billions of federal tax dollars to other states. Those are our federal tax dollars and we need to keep them in our state.
Every person not counted loses the state around $1,700 annually or roughly $17,000 throughout the next decade. With nearly two million Oklahomans currently not being counted, we stand to lose as much as $3 billion a year.
The federal COVID-19 relief funds our state received through the CARES Act were based on our 2010 Census numbers, which were also low. We would have received millions more in federal assistance for individuals, businesses and our communities, counties and state as a whole had more people taken a few moments to fill out their Census form in 2010. Oklahoma needs all the federal funding we can get now to recover from this health crisis.
Less than 60% of Oklahomans have participated while the national average is 65%. Not only do we risk losing critical federal funding for hundreds of government programs like education, public safety and transportation but it also could impact our congressional representation. It’s estimated that there are around 4.1 million Oklahomans. During the 2000 Census, Oklahoma lost a congressional seat. We have the chance to reclaim that seat and have better representation in Congress.
The Census is also used to redraw state legislative and congressional districts to allow for equal and fair representation at the state and federal level.
It’s easy to be counted. Just one person from each household needs to participate and they list the other members of their household or anyone living with them temporarily. The Census consists of around 10 questions and literally takes less than 5 minutes to fill out. You can do so online at www.2020Census.gov or by calling toll-n more just free the than 1-844-330-2020. traditional just the traditional medium for If m ment ch you government closely don’t and have closely report access and on gov repo to internet or know someone who doesn’t, please help ndependent, credible, independent, and can guarante and can them. A friend or family spapers re passed are along passed to other along reader to oth member with internet access ation. of publication. can get online for you and fill in your answers or you can simply call in.