OGDEN — The Weber Historical Society Lecture Series will host a panel discussion on the 2020 census.

The discussion — titled “Wildcats Count” — will be held Monday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m. in the Hurst Center Dumke Legacy Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

Mallory Bateman, a State Data Center coordinator and senior research analyst at the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah, and Hollie Gilliland, Golden Spike Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution regent, will participate in the panel. Bateman will discuss the use of census data demographically, and Gilliland will explore the use of data in archival research for genealogical purposes.

Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions, share concerns and learn how they can help the university’s efforts to get people counted. Political science professor Leah Murray will facilitate the discussion.

The U.S. Census is a count of the current population within the 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the census every 10 years as mandated by the Constitution. An invitation to participate online, by phone or by mail will be sent to all homes by April 1. This is the first time an online response option will be available.

The census provides data that lawmakers, government agencies, business owners and others use to provide daily services, products and support for the community. The federal government uses the data to distribute billions of dollars in funding to hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads and other resources.

The results also determine the number of congressional seats from each state, as well as how legislative and school districts will be drawn. The 2020 census marks the 24th time the U.S. has counted its population since 1790.