Census takers are going door-to-door to visit ID households

The U.S. Census Bureau is following up with households that have not yet responded to the 2020 Census in a small number of locations. Because of the scale of this operation, the Census Bureau began the work in a few areas before operations begin in earnest across the country on Aug. 11.

The effort started in Idaho on July 16. Census takers are currently going door-to-door interviewing Idahoan households that have yet to respond to the 2020 Census, Census officials said in a press release.

What households can expect

• Census takers will follow local public health guidelines when they visit. Census takers will be wearing masks. 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.

• The invidiuals 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, the census taker 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.

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.

Information: online, my2020census.gov; phone, for English call 844-330-2020, for Spanish call 844-468-2020; or by mail