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The deadline to complete the U.S. Census is now Monday, Oct. 5.

Previously the deadline had been today, Wednesday, Sept. 30. On Thursday, a federal judge ruled that the counting should continue through the end of October. However, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said Monday that the census would now have a deadline of Monday, Oct. 5.

As of press time, it was not clear if that date was actually considered final, or might still change as the issue works its way through legal and judicial procedures.

Gov. John Bel Edwards said that he was pleased the deadline had been extended at least five more days.

“This is great news, and I implore all Louisianans who have not completed their Census form to make every effort to do so within the next several days,” Edwards said. “Every person in every household should be counted from the youngest to the oldest. This opportunity only comes once every 10 years. It takes just minutes to fill out but the impact is far reaching.

“Currently, Louisiana is lagging behind the rest of the country in our participation rate, jeopardizing millions of federal dollars to improve our communities. We can and must do better.

“The census will determine how we are represented in Congress and how much in federal funding our state will receive for vital services such as health care, education and roads. Now is the time for everyone to be counted.”

Louisiana citizens who have not yet completed the census can do so in two fast ways. They can visit online at www.2020census.gov, or they can call 1-844-330-2020.