Oklahoma census to take place without state funding

Officials say Oklahoma is poised to have a successful 2020 Census count even though state funding has not been put toward preparations.

Oklahoma is one of a handful of states that have not dedicated financial resources toward the census, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Some states, like California, have made tens of millions available for efforts to count each resident.

Still, preparations are a decade in the making and have been going well, said Brent Kisling, Department of Commerce director and chair of the state’s Complete Count Committee, which was created in August.

Using existing departmental resources, Kisling said his agency found and submitted over 345,000 new addresses to the Census Bureau. This means those locations will receive census materials, and if responses aren’t submitted, census employees will go to those residences in person.

Read more: https://oklahoman.com/article/5645185/oklahoma-census-to-take-place-without-state-funding