Tricia Woodward of the U.S. Census Bureau asked county commissioners for assistance in getting 2020 census forms completed.

Stressing that census numbers are used in apportioning federal funds to states, she said Kingfisher County is lagging behind the national average.

Woodward said that census numbers also are used in determining the number of U.S. representatives.

She said that individuals who don’t want to fill out the printed forms mailed out earlier have the option of completing the census by applying online at 2020census.gov/jobs or calling a toll-free number at 1-855-JOB-2020 with questions or for assistance.

Ways she said the county could assist include:

• Posting information using social media channels as well as tagging other organizations that might be willing to share information;

• Posting information on the county’s websites or in newsletters;

• Distributing promotional materials to citizens;

• Displaying promotional materials in offices;

• Finding volunteers in numbers of six who will contact six other people

She said part-time workers are now being hired by the census bureau to contact individuals who have not returned census data.

Federal law requires that a census be taken every 10 years.

When you respond to the census, your answers are kept anonymous, the Census Bureau says. They are used only to produce statistics.

The U.S. Census Bureau is bound by law to protect your answers and keep them strictly confidential, it was reported. The law ensures that your private information is never published and that your answers cannot be used against you by any government agency or court.