COVID-19 and the Census
The last thing any of us want right now is a stranger knocking at our door asking us questions. It might be different if they bring hot food or toilet paper.
The best way to keep U.S. Census folks from coming around is to complete and return the questionnaire. You can complete it online, by phone or by mailing back the questionnaire. Today is official Census Day, so you aren’t late for anything yet.
I completed it online at www. my2020census.gov. It took me all of five minutes and was quite painless — much easier than voting. I was somewhat disappointed. I don’t know what I expected. Maybe more questions?
You need to enter the name, age and ethnicity for each person who is residing in the home on April 1, so larger families take more time, but not a lot — unless you don’t know the names and birthdates of people living in your home. That is a different, though serious, issue.
The 2020 U.S. Census has made operational adjustments due to COVID-19 and these are explained at 2020census.gov. They are delaying activities that need to be done face to face, including the count of people experiencing homelessness outdoors, which was to happen April 1, but is now delayed until May 1.
We are currently in the “selfresponse” phase (online, phone and mail), which is from now until Aug. 14.
From the U.S. Census 2020 web page:
“The count is mandated by the Constitution and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, a nonpartisan government agency. The 2020 Census counts the population in the United States and five U.S. territories. … Each home will receive an invitation to respond to a short questionnaire — online, by phone or by mail — between March 12 and March 20.
“The census provides critical data that lawmakers, business owners, teachers and many others use to provide daily services, products, and support for you and your community. Every year, billions of dollars in federal funding go to hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads, and other resources based on census data.
“The results of the census also determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, and they are used to draw congressional and state legislative districts.
“Article 1, Section 2, of the Constitution mandates that the country conduct a count of its population once every 10 years. The 2020 Census will mark the 24th time that the country has counted its population since 1790.”
With COVID-19 delaying faceto-face census activities, it is even more imperative that you complete the Census now. There are also financial penalties for refusing or giving false information.
If you have ever searched your roots you have seen copies of census documents from the precomputer era. Seeing the names of ancestors scrawled in census books every 10 years, showing their paths as they aged, had children, started work and moved to new places is pretty darned cool. I hope they will transcribe the 2020 Census into equally cool, handwritten documents to view down the road, but probably not.
Humboldt and Del Norte populations are small and we will never catch up with larger places in terms of funds received. We all need to be counted to keep what we do get. We can’t simply put this aside. If you do, a stranger will come knocking. It will be a friendly and kind stranger, but a stranger nevertheless. Take the time now, while you are self-quarantining with your happy family to find out their birthdates.