CHAMPAIGN, Ill.— University of Illinois Extension will host a free webinar to educate the public on how to ensure an accurate count for the upcoming decennial census, an issue on which billions of dollars of federal funding for everyday government expenditures is hinged.

The U.S. Census Bureau released population breakdowns in Illinois last August, reflecting decreases in 86 of the state’s 102 counties. Due to this decline, Illinois could lose up to two seats in Congress. In addition to the loss of population and representation, a potential undercount threatens billions of dollars in federal funding for everyday government expenditures, such as highways, education, and more. University of Illinois Extension will welcome experts on their Local Government Education (LGE) webinar series to explain how and why local governments and advocacy groups should help ensure an accurate count.

On Thursday, October 17 at Noon CST, LGE  host a webinar entitled Counting For Dollars: Census 2020, presented by Carrie L. Davis, Democracy Program Director of the Joyce Foundation, Anita Banjeri from Forefront’s Democracy Initiative, and Elissa Johnson from the U.S. Regional Census Bureau. Each expert will give an overview of their respective programs and speak to how important the roles of local governments are in ensuring an accurate count for the upcoming decennial census.

For registration, go to https://go.illinois.edu/lgewebinar, or contact Nancy Ouedraogo at esarey@illinois.edu or by phone at 217-244-7020, for more information or reasonable accommodation.