OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The head of the U.S. Census Bureau visited a census event Friday to encourage people to fill out their census form before the end of the month.
Director Steven Dillingham stopped by a census event outside the Oklahoma Capitol where people could drive by and pick up census forms ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline.
Census data are used to determine how much federal funding states receive. According to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, Oklahoma currently ranks 41st among the 50 states for its census response rate.
"It is critical that eligible individuals fill out the cen- sus so our state can receive the money and resources it needs to properly support initiatives like food assistance, education, infrastructure and healthcare," said DHS Director Justin Brown.