As of Monday of this week, 6.5 million households have already responded to the 2020 Census.
Invitations to fill out the census began arriving in houses across the country last week. By this Friday, March 20, the U.S. Census Bureau expects every household to have received their personalized invitation.
With the arrival of these invitations, The U.S. Census Bureau says to fill out the form with the address of where you live most of the time – but what about those members of our community who have left amid the coronavirus outbreak and missed their invitations? What about the students who live on campus and have left indefinitely due to UNC suspending its operations?
Tim Olsen is the Associate Director of Field Operations for the U.S. Census Bureau. He says they are working closely with universities across the country to address these concerns.
“If they’re on campus, living in a dorm, we’re working with every college university where they’re going to provide us that information electronically,” Olsen said. “A roster of their students that live on campus and the basic demographic information which will ensure that they’re counted accurately at that school.”
For the students who live off campus but may have returned home amid the coronavirus pandemic, Olsen says the bureau is working to inform that population too.
“We are reaching out to all colleges and universities to asking them specifically could they do an email blast or social media blast to all of their students – particularly those who live off campus – reminding them where they should be counted and how they can participate,” Olsen said.
For the rest of the country outside of the student population, Olsen says the bureau is increasing their advertising to get people to respond as quickly as possible.
“So we’re really trying to, as much as possible, let the American people know how important it is to respond once they receive their invitation,” Olsen said. “That way nobody from the bureau is going to need to follow up with them in person.”
The second thing the census bureau is doing is taking advantage of their partners and resources.
“We’ve got a network of well over 300,000 organizations throughout the country that are actively partnering with us,” Olsen said.
Some of their partners include town, city and state governments as well as religious organizations, schools and healthcare providers. All of these organizations are working together to drive home the message of how important it is to be included in the census and how it is easier than ever.
2020 is the first year the census is available electronically. Despite the current outbreak, Olsen says the bureau is on track with their projections for how many people have filled out the form, but he says they want to do even better.
“We’re trying to exceed our projections,” Olsen said. “Particularly because we want to limit any person contact we would have to have with household starting in May.”
By the end of this week, the Census Bureau will have completed job offers to 500,000 people. If you don’t fill out the census before the start of May, one of these workers may wind up at your door.
Olsen says these home visits are one of the most effective ways to get the remaining population to fill out the form – even more so if the spread of the coronavirus is still a concern in May.
“It’s substantial how many people will respond on their own when a census employee has literally knocked on their door and left a note card telling them ‘hey I’ve been here,’” Olsen said.
Olsen says his number one takeaway for people is to respond to the census on your own as soon as you get your invitation.
“Your response is part of the numbers that determine how all of us will be represented for the next decade and how billions and billions of dollars will be allocated to local communities for emergency services, healthcare, student funding for schools, roads, transportation – all of the things we rely upon,” Olsen said.
Starting on Friday, people can go online to see how their own community is doing in terms of census response rates. To fill out the census online, visit the census bureau’s website.
(Lead photo courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau)
