The 2018 election saw the highest turnout for midterms in more than a century. Much of this participation can be attributed to the innovative ways in which cities, counties, and states motivated their constituents to vote. San Jose modeled this kind of innovation through its partnership with CommunityConnect Labs and Pokémon GO. In an effort to verify and increase voter registration for the 2018 midterms, the three entities collaborated this past Halloween to launch “Pokémon GO Vote.”
Governments can lead the way in showing how data collection is used to benefit residents and delivering improved services. CommunityConnect Labs presented examples of its local city surveys and Census solutions at The Opportunity Project’s (TOP) Demo Day at the U.S. Census Bureau this past March.
A study published last week by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that hard-to-count populations prefer text messaging and cell phone notifications over other methods of follow-up contact. This represents an important breakthrough in how best to activate hard-to-count communities to self-respond in the 2020 Census.
The State of California has just published its Census Allocation Plan. The funds will support strategies and activities that will help ensure an accurate and successful count in California. Read our summary to learn how much your county will receive and the criteria for applying to become an ACBO.