Get Out the Count Background and Introduction

This Get Out the Count Toolkit will provide community-based organizations, public officials, and other key stakeholders with information on the importance of the 2020 Census and tools to help ensure the 2020 Census is fair and accurate.

The 2020 Census will be the largest, most difficult headcount in the nation’s history. The U.S. population is increasingly diverse – geographically, linguistically, and culturally – with households becoming more complex, and a greater share of residents falling into “hard-to-count” categories. A growing distrust of government and a climate of fear pose additional challenges, and the noise of presidential primary contests taking place at the same time will make it harder for census communications to break through. The 2020 Census will also be the first “high-tech” census with a focus on Internet response that will be challenging for communities without reliable broadband service.