Area Census participation making gains

Self-reports lag in rural environs

While response rates for the 2020 U.S. Census in El Dorado and Union County are running on track with statewide numbers, city officials are still stressing the importance of participating in the census count.

City officials are also still looking at ways to spread the word that the census enumeration is ongoing amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

El Dorado City Council Member Willie McGhee said he recently spoke with Debra Joyner — partnership specialist for the Chicago Regional Census Center, which covers El Dorado and Union County — about self-response rates for the area.

“She said Union County is doing well in turning in their census forms. Other (surrounding) areas are not,” McGhee said.

On Wednesday, Joyner provided Mayor Veronica Smith-Creer with an up-to-date self-response report and sent kudos to city and county residents for their participation in the Census.

Joyner reported there has been a “dramatic” jump in response rates for the entire state of Arkansas, a phenomenon that can be attributed to an increasing number of households completing and returning census forms and a surge in updates from the United States Census Bureau.

As of May 20, 55.3% of households in El Dorado had responded to the 2020 Census enumeration, according to the U.S. Census self-response rankings.

Just over 52 percent of Union County households had returned census forms and 54.6%, or 884,000, households were represented in the 2020 Census at that point.

Information shared by Joyner Wednesday showed that more than 56% of Arkansas residents have responded to the census.

The number includes 56.3% of households in El Dorado; 55.5% in Smackover; 47.6% in Norphlet; 34% in Strong; 32.9% in Junction City; 30.4% in Calion; 28.1% in Huttig; and 10.7% in Felsenthal — all of which represent an overall response rate of 54.9% for Union County.

Joyner said the Census Bureau has resumed field operations and face-to-face visits, which were suspended due to the coronavirus, so local residents can expect to see more census-takers in the city and county soon.

On July 1, Census takers will begin working with administrators at colleges, senior centers, prisons and other facilities that house large groups of people to make sure everyone is counted.

The effort will continue until Sept. 3. McGhee said enumerators will go door to door Aug. 11 through Oct. 31 to visit households that have not returned census forms.

Joyner said U.S. Census employees will adhere to COVID-19 safety protocols, including wearing face masks, before entering buildings.

El Dorado City Council Member Judy Ward said last week that she was “stunned” to see that response rates were low in some areas surrounding El Dorado and Union County, citing one number that was below 20%.

Ward noted that some residents may not open the door when census-takers arrive at their homes and she said social media, particularly for teens and young adults, is an effective way to spread the word about the census.

“With social media, you have to have somebody who knows what they’re doing. I’ve learned that,” she said.

She also suggested a partnership between the city and Union County for a promotional campaign.

McGhee said he and Joyner plan to meet with local radio stations about ideas to help promote the Census.