SPRINGFIELD – With the deadline to complete the 2020 Census looming, State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) joined with the Illinois Primary Health Care Association, Macoupin County Public Health Department, and local elected officials at a press conference this morning to encourage residents of Macoupin County to complete the 2020 census.

“Completing the census is a simple step people can take to help their neighbors,” Manar said. “An accurate census count gives our communities a chance to properly maintain the quality of our roads, schools, hospitals, and other programs people rely on. Every last dollar is going to count as we continue to navigate our way through the COVID-19 crisis.”

Nine municipalities in Macoupin County have a response rate of 60% or higher:

• Brighton: 76.7%
• Staunton: 75.2%
• Carlinville: 75.1%
• Bunker Hill: 73.5%
• Olive: 72.2%
• Gillespie: 70%
• Virden: 69.4 %
• Benld: 66.5%
• Girard: 60.7%

“Census information is used to allocate hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding to communities all across the country,” Paula Campbell, Associate Director of Health Equity for the Illinois Primary Health Care Association said. “The results will show where communities need new schools, new health clinics, new roads, and more services for families, older adults, and children.”

The Macoupin County Public Health Department has staff dedicated to helping people through the census completion process who can be reached by phone at (217) 854-3223.

“I appreciate the people who’ve already taken a few minutes to get counted, but we have so much more work to do before the Sept. 30 deadline,” Manar said.

Residents can also complete the census for their household at www.my2020census.gov.