Not all Arkansans will count, come time for next year's census.
In fact, recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau puts the number that will be difficult to count in this state at about 15 percent.
Think about that. Fifteen out of every 100 people living in this state next year may not be counted in the census.
In a state with more than 3 million population at last projection, that can be costly, both in money to the state and to its localities and in representation for the people who live here.
The federal folks tend to focus on how the count impacts the billions in federal money distributed to the states. Or they cite the fact that the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are apportioned based on the nationwide count.
But state government uses those population numbers, too. They determine how the state will spread around money to the counties and cities. They define eligibility requirements for particular programs. And they're used to apportion seats in the state Legislature (35 in the Senate and 100 in the House of Representatives).
And, yes, the numbers get used on the local level, too, for example, to help a school board decide where and when to build a new school within a given district.
Census data -- and projections from what the data reveal -- will drive all manner of public and private decisions for the coming decade.
Not only is the number of U.S. inhabitants collected, the census gathers information on household income, how many adults live in any given place and more.
Getting an accurate count is serious business.
It's why you'll be hearing a lot about the count as the official Census Day, April 1, draws near.
The goal is to count everyone in the country, a chore mandated by the U.S. Constitution and done every 10 years since 1790.
The number counted nationwide back then was roughly 3.9 million. Ten years ago, the population neared 308.8 million.
It will be greater next year. But not everyone will be counted and they, as well the governments that serve them at all levels, will be the worse off for it.
What makes some people harder to count than others are low incomes, a lack of computers or Internet access at home or language barriers.
Those folks simply may not respond to the census on their own, according to the Census Bureau.
Incidentally, the projection that 15 percent of Arkansas citizens will be hard to count puts this state right in the middle of the pack at 24th among the 50 states. The main reason cited for the predicted undercount in Arkansas is the state's low median income.
Topping the list are four states where a high proportion of Hispanic population is identified as the main reason their people may go uncounted. New Mexico has the highest proportion of possible undercount at 41 percent. California follows at 40 percent.
Getting an accurate count is a challenge in big and small states, obviously.
In Arkansas and elsewhere, state and local officials have organized "complete count" committees to educate people on why the census is important and to help get people counted.
Many of us won't need help.
This year, the Census Bureau will mail cards with instructions on how to file online. Go online, fill out the form and you're counted.
You can also phone the answers in.
Those who don't do either will eventually get a paper form in the mail, as was the way the census was done for everyone in the past.
Only if those forms get no response will census workers go door-to-door to gather information.
But that will happen, too, if needed.
If the Census Bureau misses any of the hard-to-count population, it definitely won't be for lack of trying.
Commentary on 12/18/2019