Wash And Be Counted: Free Laundry Exchanged For Census

CHICAGO (AP) -- A tumble dry -- with the census.

Community groups in Chicago offered two loads for free Sunday if customers at a coin laundry filled out census forms.

Illinois has a 70% census response rate so far, but Chicago is at 60%. The deadline to fill out forms is getting close, and there's a big push to get communities of color to participate.

Frances Velez, a volunteer at Latina Women in Action, held a sign with the offer of free laundry loads in exchange for census participation.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker told a Black church congregation that "filling out the census is as important as any protest" because many government programs are tied to the count.

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