A statement from the Census director

Here’s a follow-up to our story that raised concerns that the country’s count of its population could fall short and that local communities, such as Oconee County, could lose some of the dollars of federal aid that it deserves.  Steven Dillingham, Census Bureau director, has repeated that the bureau remains committed to a complete and accurate count—notwithstanding the safety guidelines that field staff must follow.  Census door knockers are expected to visit neighborhoods starting next week.  But the Census decision to stop field data collection by September 30 has led some to worry that the 2020 Census will be under-counted.  According to Dillingham’s statement, 93 million households have responded, but that’s only 63% of the goal.