The 2020 Census is about to get underway on April 1, and the Fayette County Commission is asking that residents participate to ensure that an accurate count of Fayette’s population is tallied.

The Fayette County Commission on Feb. 27 issued a proclamation recognizing April 1 as “Fayette Census Day.”

The move was intended to prompt county residents to take part in the census.

The proclamation noted that census data ensures fair congressional representation by determining how many elected congressional representatives and congressional districts each state will have after the census is completed.

The census will determine how the federal government distributes funding to the state, and how Georgia distributes funding to cities and counties.

The proclamation noted that information collected in the census is confidential and protected by law.