While most conversations about civic duty have shifted to focus on Election Day, those who have yet to respond to the 2020 Census have another, more imminent task to complete.
According to the census website, “all offices are (scheduled) to complete their work by Sept. 30, 2020.” This means those who have yet to respond still have about a week to turn in their forms. The census is intended to count everyone living in the U.S. and its five territories. One person should respond for each place of residence and be able to provide general information about each person living there.
Respondents should count where they lived and slept most of the time as of April 1, 2020 and count all others who were living and sleeping in the same residence, including young children, foster children, roommates, family members and friends, even those living there temporarily.
College students who returned home early due to COVID-19 should still be counted as residing at their college, according to the census website.
“If they live in student housing, the college will count them,” the census website stated. “If they live off campus, they should complete the census for their off-campus address and include any roommates or other people living there.”
Respondents can complete the census online, by phone or by mail. To complete the census online, visit the census website and respond to the online questionnaire in one sitting.
To respond by phone, call 844-330-2020 or call the number associated with the respondent’s preferred language. Numbers for additional languages are available on the census website.
To respond by mail, complete the paper questionnaire in blue or black ink and return it in the envelope provided or in an envelope addressed to the U.S. Census Bureau, National Processing Center, 1201 E 10th Street, Jeffersonville, IN, 47132.
Language support is available online and by phone in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, Arabic, Tagalog, Polish, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese and Japanese. Guides are also offered in 59 non-English languages, including American Sign Language, Braille and large print. For more information about how to respond to the 2020 Census, visit the census website.
Lex Miller can be reached at [email protected]