Census Bowl aims to increase numbers; offers $65K for schools

Marengo County is in the running to get $65,000 for its schools, providing residents of the county do their part.

The county is taking part in the Census Bowl, a competition among 32 counties Alabama who are under-performing in getting residents to respond to the census.

The Census Bowl is a head-to-head four-week competition to see who can get more residents to complete the census. Each week counties will face each other in a bracket system, and each week, only the most dedicated will move ahead.

To kick things off, local organizers are holding a drive-thru census Thursday, Sept. 3, from 5-7 p.m. at the Theo Ratliff Center. Those completing the census will be able to get a dinner for each one of the members of their households counted in the census. The meals are provided by Foster Farms and Batter Up.

Volunteers will be on hand to provide help completing the census if needed, either on paper or with an electronic device. All COVID-19 guidelines will be observed.

The U.S. Constitution states that every 10 years the residents of the country are to be counted. The results determine how many Representatives each state has in the House of Representatives and how federal monies are distributed.

The counties invited to take part in the Census Bowl are those who lag behind in the census count. Alabama “stands to lose billions in funding, a seat in Congress and economic development opportunities,” said Gov. Kay Ivey.

The national percentage of respondents through Thursday was 64.6, and Alabama has chalked up 61.6 percent so far.

Marengo County as a whole lags far behind at 48.4 percent. The final tally for the 2010 census was 53.8 percent.

Demopolis beats the state average so far at 62.8 percent, but it hasn’t met the 2010 figure of 65 percent. Linden stands at 52.6 percent, and its 2010 count was 61.2 percent.