Census Update: Conducting the Count Around Coronavirus
March 12 marked the first day U.S. households began receiving official Census Bureau mail with information on how to respond to the 2020 Census. Once invitations arrive, households can respond online, by phone, or by mail. Households can expect to receive their census packet by March 20.
On March 12, as coronavirus concerns increased, the Census Bureau’s Inspector General Peggy Gustafson wrote a letter to the bureau with concerns regarding the bureau’s plans to conduct the Nonresponse Follow-up operation in a handful of communities beginning as early as April 9, and across the country on May 13. According to Gustafson, the bureau provided few details on their contingency plans in the event that the bureau needs to delay or discontinue nonresponse follow-up visits. The IG submitted a list of questions regarding the bureau’s plans to the Census Director.
The Census Bureau issued a subsequent press release on March 15 with additional information regarding how the bureau plans to ensure an accurate count during the COVID-19 crisis.
The bureau explains that while the target date to complete data collection for the bureau is July 31, that date can and will be adjusted if necessary. The bureau also released new information regarding counting college students and group quarters residents. The bureau also announced that it is working with service providers at emergency and transitional shelters, soup kitchens, and regularly scheduled mobile food vans to adapt plans to count the populations they serve.
The bureau also announced it is delaying the start of the Mobile Questionnaire Assistance program, which hosts events to offer assistance in responding to the census. They now plan to travel across the country with the program starting April 13, rather than March 30. The bureau has also delayed the early nonresponse follow-up from April 9 to April 23.
