The goal of the U.S. Census is to count every living person, only once, and in the right place. Many Georgians are considered “hard to count” due to language barriers, socioeconomic status, geography, lack of access to the internet, and many other factors. For the first time, everyone will be able to fill out their census forms online, creating new concerns around security. For many millennials, this is their first opportunity to fill out their census forms, and they may not understand why it is so necessary.

The Outreach Subcommittee of the State Complete Count Committee developed this Local Complete Count Committee Toolkit to encourage participation in the 2020 Census and to ensure a complete count of everyone living in Georgia. Design, editing, and production assistance was provided by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia, in partnership with The Networked Planet. The Networked Planet is a multi-media agency that came up with the theme: Every. One. Counts. The campaign will have many components, from statewide television spots to the most localized, grassroot efforts.

The State of Georgia is proud to embark on a marketing campaign that focuses on educating Georgians about the importance of the census. It’s about federal dollars flowing from Washington to Georgia for things like health care, education, transportation, senior care, foster care, and agriculture, issues that affect millions of residents in our state. It’s also about representation, from representatives in Congress all the way down to local school board members.

While the State marketing and media plan will include statewide coverage, Local Complete Count Committee members are encouraged to share the campaign in their own communities on websites, local TV or radio stations, billboards, and social media channels. The State is relying on local officials to take this campaign to their own communities. The 2020 Census will be most successful if everyone utilizes the same messages seen in the statewide media campaign. That consistency will provide the most bang for the buck via the collective power of one simple message.

All marketing campaign materials will be available for download via links included in the toolkit.