More than 1.6 million people in Cook County live in areas that are the hardest for the U.S. Census Bureau to count in the nation, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said today at a news conference where she was joined by other Chicago-area elected officials who urged residents to participate in the 2020 Census.

"If you want to count, you've got to be counted," Pappas said.

Most of these areas, called census tracts, are located on the South and West Sides of Chicago and south and west suburbs, Pappas said. A map is available here.

Joining Pappas at the news conference were: U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th); Toni Preckwinkle, President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners; Kim Foxx, Cook County State's Attorney; Karen Yarbrough, Cook County Clerk; and Marilyn Sanders, Regional Director, U.S. Census Bureau.

Cook County Commissioners Stanley Moore (4th), Chairman, Complete Count Census Committee; John Daley (11th), Chairman of the Finance Committee; and Kevin Morrison (15th) also participated.

Aldermen Ariel Reboyras (30th), Chairman, Chicago City Council Special Legislative Committee on the Census; Howard Brookins Jr. (21st); Alderman Walter Burnett Jr. (27th); Felix Cardona Jr. (31st); and Byron Sigcho Lopez (25th) spoke.

Leaders of the Polish community who spoke were: Jan Kopec, President, Alliance of Polish Clubs and Honorary Cook County Deputy Treasurer; and Michael Niedzinski, President, Illinois Division, Polish American Congress.

The elected officials gathered around a dedicated computer workstation on the front counter of the Treasurer's Office where residents ran register for the 2020 Census starting in mid-March. It is the first such location in Cook County government. Brochures about the 2020 Census in Spanish, Polish and English are also available.

The hardest-to-count census tracts are designated by the Census Bureau. They are the areas where the fewest households mailed back the 2010 Census questionnaire.