Census Takers to Start Follow Up With Nonresponding Households in Select Locations
JULY 30, 2020 — The U.S. Census Bureau announced that it will begin following up with households in select areas that have not yet responded to the 2020 Census.
Starting August 6, census takers will begin interviewing households in areas managed by the following area census offices:
- New Haven, Connecticut
- Washington, District of Columbia
- Wilmington, Delaware
- Boston, Lawrence and East Bridgewater, Massachusetts
- Concord, New Hampshire
- Lansing and Oakland County, Michigan
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Parsippany, South Plainfield and Newark, New Jersey
- Albany, Bronx (2 locations), Brooklyn (3 locations), Manhattan (2 locations), Queens (4 locations), Pawling, Peekskill, Rochester, Staten Island and Syracuse, New York
- Providence, Rhode Island
- Allentown, Norristown, Philly Franklin, Philly Penn and Reading, Pennsylvania
- Fairfax, Fredericksburg and Roanoke, Virginia
The majority of census offices across the country will begin follow-up work on August 11.
Households can still respond now by completing and mailing back the paper questionnaire they received, by responding online at 2020census.gov, or by phone at 844-330-2020. Households can also respond online or by phone in one of 13 languages and find assistance in many more. Those that respond will not need to be visited to obtain their census response.
What Households Can Expect
The Census Bureau will provide face masks to census takers and requires that census takers wear a mask while conducting their work. They will follow CDC and local public health guidelines when they visit. Census takers must complete a virtual COVID-19 training on social distancing protocols and other health and safety guidance before beginning their work in neighborhoods.
Census takers are hired from local communities. All census takers speak English, and many are bilingual. If a census taker does not speak the householder’s language, the household may request a return visit from a census taker who does. Census takers will also have materials on hand to help identify the household’s language.
If no one is home when the census taker visits, they will leave a notice of their visit with information about how to respond online, by phone or by mail. People are encouraged to cooperate with census takers and ensure that everyone who was living in their household as of April 1, 2020, is counted.
How to Identify Census Takers
Census takers can be easily identified by a valid government ID badge with their photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark, and an expiration date on the badge. To confirm a census taker’s identity, the public may contact their regional census center to speak with a Census Bureau representative.
How are these Offices Selected for the Early Start to Deploying Census Takers?
Career Census Bureau operational leadership makes the decision on when and where area census offices will begin following up with households that have not yet responded to the 2020 Census. As part of the selection criteria, we ensured these offices offered a variety of situations to help roll out the systems. We also followed a thorough review of the operating status of a state, locality or tribal area; the key data that support that operating status as identified by federal, state and local guidance; and the ability of Census Bureau staff to safely resume operations, including the procurement of personal protective equipment.
About the 2020 Census
The U.S. Constitution mandates a census of the population every 10 years. The goal of the 2020 Census is to count everyone who lives in the United States on April 1, 2020 (Census Day). Census statistics are used to determine the number of seats each state holds in the U.S. House of Representatives and informs how billions of dollars in federal funds will be allocated by state, local and federal lawmakers annually for the next 10 years.
For more information, visit 2020census.gov.
No news release associated with this announcement. Tip Sheet only.
###
|
