Montana to spend $530K in coronavirus relief money on Census

HELENA (AP) — Montana is spending $530,000 in coronavirus relief money to boost Census outreach efforts with two months left in the once-a-decade population count.

The U.S. Census Bureau is ending its counting efforts on Sept. 30, a month earlier than the extension that was announced this spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the bureau said Tuesday.

The state is partnering with the Montana Nonprofit Association, Western Native Voice and Forward Montana to help contact people who have not already responded to the census, officials said. The state's 56% self-response rate is behind the national average.

An accurate count could help Montana gain a second U.S. House seat and affects the amount of federal funding the state receives.