SALT LAKE CITY — Utah is the latest of nearly two dozen states across the country that are spending millions of their own money to make sure residents fill out next year’s census form amid fears that undercounting could mean losing federal funding or crucial seats in Congress.
The GOP-dominated Legislature approved $1 million on outreach for the 2020 census Monday, with half that going to fund programs for groups considered hard to count.
That includes children under age 5, a group that’s especially prevalent in Utah, which is home to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and known for big families.
This will also be the first Census done primarily online, a challenge for people living in rural areas like Native American reservations, where internet service is often spotty or nonexistent.
Lindsay Whitehurst, The Associated Press
