Deadline: Do it as soon as you’re able, dates vary, see important dates here –
The 2020 Census is happening now, so it’s time to sit down (at your computer, phone, or desk) and be counted! You can complete your census questionnaire online, by phone, or by mail if you receive the paper form. Learn more about how to respond here.
Find out more about each way you can respond:
Responding online is a great option, but you’ll have to complete the census in one sitting because it won’t let you save your progress. Prepare in advance – take a look at the questions the census asks.
If you don’t get an invitation to respond from the Census Bureau in the mail, you can answer online or visit the Census Contact page to call their phone lines (that page has a long list of numbers to call in many languages).
What you can do:
- Complete your census now! It’s reported that some deadlines are being adjusted for COVID-19, but please get it done as soon as you can. See the Census’ Important Dates webpage. If you don’t respond, the Census will need to send a Census Bureau interviewer to your home to get the answers in person.
- This webpage explains who should respond, who should be counted and where, and more. Still have questions? See help and FAQ’s here.
- This site has lots of info about the California census, including their updated COVID-19 page.
- Alameda County: learn more here.
- Contra Costa County: learn more here.
- See Rock the Vote’s How To Complete the Census explainer.
- Work for the Census! If you already applied for a job or are interested in filing an application, see info at this page, updated to reflect how they’re operating to allow for social distancing and support efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19.
- Read our earlier article, Help Ensure We’re All Counted, about why it’s so important for us to have a complete count of “all persons” living in the United States.
And now, if you haven’t already, it’s time for you to sit down and be counted!
Census 2020! Photo by Heidi Rand
