Riders on homespun floats tossed candy to kids, Santa Claus made a grand appearance, and high school bands blared out festive tunes during the annual Foley Christmas parade.
And, perhaps for the first time in the parade’s 56-year history, a float promoting the U.S. Census was part of the festivities.
The effort was just one small example of a blossoming outreach effort that will become more pronounced in Alabama starting in January and continue until at least April 1, when the 2020 Census begins.
Alabama is investing big bucks toward getting the Census forms filled out. The goal is a much stronger participation level than in years past as lawmakers look to thwart the potential loss of a congressional seat and federal funding.
The state has already doled out $1 million in grants to 34 agencies and organizations, and is expected to add $3 million for the campaign under the “Alabama Counts” banner.
“We know that the level of engagement and awareness at the local level is higher at this point than it was in the leadup to the 2010 Census,” said Mike Presley, spokesman at the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, the agency charged with overseeing this year’s count.
Cities and counties are also pumping dollars into the effort. Huntsville is spending $50,000 on Census outreach, while Montgomery is committing $30,000. An investment could be coming soon from the Mobile City Council.
Smaller cities are making budget set-asides, as well. The Foley City Council has endorsed $2,500 for Census outreach, and plans to provide a “minimum $10,000 in-kind match” to support the state’s recent $10,000 award to the city.
In Prattville, officials anticipate spending $6,000 to support a $30,048 state grant that went to Elmore County for its outreach efforts. Hoover, which didn’t get a state grant, is spending $5,000, while Orange Beach is investing $2,000.
“An accurate Census count is critical to future opportunities for our county, state and city,” said Prattville Mayor Bill Gillespie Jr.
‘Unusual dynamic’
Alabama’s efforts stand in contrast with most other politically conservative states. According to a New York Times analysis, only four of the 26 states spending money on Census outreach are Republican-controlled. Alabama and Georgia represent the only two Deep South states.
“It sounds like Alabama is taking this more seriously than a lot of other red states,” said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and a scholar on Southern politics.
Indeed, Alabama has focused on a so-called “complete” count for some time. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey first issued a warning about the dangers of a Census undercount more than two years ago, and she’s spreading the same message today. “We have much to lose, but at the same time, much to gain,” Ivey said in a statement. “This is an all-hands-on-deck effort, and our ultimate success depends on it.”
Alabama, thanks to slower-than-average population growth, is one of a handful of states that could potentially lose a seat in the House of Representatives, and lose one of its electoral votes in presidential elections.
Even more worrisome to state leaders is the potential dip in federal funding. According to a George Washington University analysis, Alabama received $13.1 billion through 55 federal spending programs guided by data derived from the 2010 Census. Programs such as road planning and construction, Medicaid, student loans, food stamps, housing loans, and more are affected by Census findings.
“If Alabama spends $1.2 million, the sum is dwarfed by how many billions of federal dollars the state will receive if an accurate total results rather than a significant undercount,” said Gerald Webster, a professor of political geography at the University of Wyoming and a former geography professor at the University of Alabama. “Hence, if the money is spent wisely and results in more cooperation by the residents of Alabama, it is money well spent.”
The state, earlier this month, doled out $1 million in support of Census outreach efforts to local governments like Foley, Decatur, Cullman and Saraland. Non-profits also received the state money such as the United Way of Central Alabama, YMCA of Tuscaloosa and VOICES for Alabama’s Children.
Money also went to groups that could better reach harder-to-count populations like Hispanics and rural African-Americans in the Black Belt. The Black Belt Community Foundation, for instance, received $40,000 to spur Census awareness and hold workshops across its 12-county region. Another $40,000 went to the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama.
“I do think Alabama’s focus on the possibility in losing a congressional seat is probably spurring bipartisan activity in support of the Census,” Jillson said. “Republicans want a full count in order to save that seat and Democrats would want a full count thinking that any undercount is likely to miss their supporters than Republican supporters.”
Jillson added, “It’s an unusual dynamic … and is spurring activity in Alabama that is not taking place in other similar red states.”
Jillson’s home state of Texas isn’t spending anything on Census outreach. A $50 million appropriation to encourage Census activity didn’t pass the Republican-controlled Legislature last session.
“The state of Texas is not spending in support of a full Census count because Republican officeholders sense that a full count is going to catch more Hispanic and black voters, particularly in the border area of south Texas than what would be beneficial for Republicans,” Jillson said. “The Republicans in Texas are thinking an undercount might benefit them.”
Flea markets and ‘friendly competition’
The "Hoover Counts!" Census logo. Efforts in Hoover and other cities around Alabama are aimed at boosting Census participation levels above 2010. (logo provided by the city of Hoover).
The nationwide Democrat-Republican split over Census outreach isn’t resonating in city halls and county commission offices in Alabama.
Even in cities that didn’t win financial aid from Ivey’s administration, efforts are still unfolding toward ramping up the count.
That is the case in Hoover. The city hoped for a grant that would’ve allowed Hoover officials to install informational kiosks in businesses such as Walmart.
Still, the city is appropriating $5,000 to finance a “Hoover Counts 2020” drive kicking off next month that will involve school leaders and Hispanic advocates.
City spokeswoman Melanie Posey said the city is also teaming with a local Baptist Church’s food bank to utilize it volunteers in an effort to reach residents who, in years past, haven’t responded to Census inquires.
Hoover, like a lot of Alabama cities, has already established a complete count committee consisting of representatives from businesses, schools, recreational centers, and the library.
No such committee existed during the 2010 Census, when the participation rate in Hoover was 78%, Posey said, or 2 percentage points less than in 2000. Alabama’s overall participation rate was 72% in 2010, which was an improvement from 68% in 2000, but was behind the national rate of 74%.
“We, as a city, can do better,” Posey said. The city, for instance, has unveiled a “Hoover Counts” logo that will be displayed on banners and signage. “I hate to use the word, ‘pride,’ but I know we can do better. This is a major deal for us as a city and as a state,” Posey said.
In Homewood, just north of Hoover, a big Census drive is being planned for next month that will involve the city’s library where bilingual volunteers will be at to assist people in completing their forms.
City Council member Jennifer Andress said a “friendly” Census-participation competition is also in the works involving Jefferson County cities that participate in the Inter-City Recycling Challenge. Those cities are Homewood, Hoover, Vestavia Hills and Mountain Brook, and will last through April 30.
“We have got great relationships with other city councils and are open to including any other city council as well,” said Andress, who has already participation rates of possible “friendly competitors” from 2010: Homewood (74%), Hoover (78%), Vestavia Hills (81%) and Mountain Brook (84%). Birmingham’s rate, meanwhile, was 70%.
In some areas of the state, countywide Census-awareness efforts are under way.
The Elmore County Commission, which received a $30,048 grant from the state, is coordinating efforts with cities and schools and will include Census outreach during the March 3, 2020, primary elections.
Situated just north of Montgomery, Elmore County had a 78% participation rate during the 2010 Census, a 9 percentage point improvement over 2000. But the county is experiencing rapid growth, and city and county leaders want to capture the fullness of that reality in the 2020 Census.
“We feel like at the primary, there will be a large number of civic-minded people out anyway,” said Richie Beyer, chief engineer and operations officer in Elmore County. He said the county is placing IPads in areas with historically low Census participation counts in hopes of capturing more participants.
The county is also targeting advertising efforts through school competitions and at flea markets, and is coordinating with mayors and county commissioners on video ads.
“I know the state and feds will be pushing out advertising in that March time frame as well, but we want to supplement it,” said Beyer. “People can identify with their county commissioner or mayor or city council person.”
He added, “I think there is a lot of distrust for the higher levels of government. But they see these local government officials more often and there is a level of comfort for local officials who are on the ground with them and we are trying to take that and parlay it into how people understand how important (Census participation will be).”