Nearly 30 percent of Iowans have yet to be counted in the 2020 Census — and the September 30 deadline is quickly approaching. A complete, accurate count is key to receiving funding to meet our communities' needs, including health care, education and child care. 

Iowa's Complete Count Committee, comprised of community, nonprofit and business leaders from across the state, has been raising awareness of the Census to get Iowans counted. 

On the podcast this week, two committee members, Deann Cook and Bill Menner, talk about why being counted matters — and how Iowans can help ensure a complete count. 

A few highlights from the episode, lightly edited for clarity:

On why completing the Census is so important

Bill: "The Census is power and purse — it's how your tax dollars are proportioned and determines your representation in Congress." 

Deann: "Your voice is more valuable than you know, and you'll see the results of exercising that voice every single day for the next ten years."

On the challenge of counting all Iowans

Bill: "Hard-to-count populations are growing in Iowa. The challenge becomes identifying these Iowans, many of whom don't have easy access to a computer and can't go online to fill out the Census."

On what Iowans can do to reach a complete count

Deann: "Let people know that things affecting their daily lives — the roads they drive on, the health care they access, the school funding for kids in their communities — these all are driven by this ten-minute exercise they do once every ten years."