Welcome to WE COUNT — the initiative supporting the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2016 Census Test.

Below are materials prepared for official partners for the 2016 Census Test, which took place March 21 through June 20, 2016.  We rely on you, our partners — local governments, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, schools, media, businesses, and others — to help each test census effort succeed. For this test, residents of one of only two places selected for the 2016 Census Test, Harris County, TX, and Los Angeles County, CA, had a special opportunity.

It is our hope that the 2016 Census Test will pave the way for a complete count of all populations in the 2020 Census at a lower cost. What we accomplish together matters not only for your community, but also nationwide. Census statistics determine how many representatives each state has in Congress and play a role in how the boundaries are drawn for voting and school districts. They also are used for funding and policy decisions on housing, education, transportation, medical care, and economic development.

The 2016 Census Test partner toolkits contaied materials that helped partners reach out to people in their communities to increase participation. The information provided also helped partners respond to neighbors’ questions and concerns.