The U.S. Census Bureau will send a bilingual reminder postcard to encourage everyone who has not responded to the 2020 Census by mid-July to respond online, by phone or by mail. The reminder will be in both English and Spanish, and explains:
To protect the health of the public during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Census Bureau interviewers have had limited direct contact with the public until now.
Interviewers will begin visiting homes that have not responded in August. Respond today, and we will not need to send an interviewer to your door to collect your answers.
If you have already completed your 2020 Census questionnaire, thank you.
The postcard will be sent to Arlingtonians who have not yet responded to the Census and is expected to arrive in mailboxes between July 22–28. On August 11, Census Takers will begin visiting those households that haven’t responded.
That the postcard will be in English and Spanish is important for Arlington as the Census form sent to all Arlington households was in English only. Spanish-speakers, and those who speak 11 other languages, can fill out the Census online in their own language at my2020census.gov or use these phone numbers to take the Census by phone. Speakers of 59 non-English languages can access the on-line language guides on the Census website.
If you receive a postcard reminder despite responding to the Census, you can disregard it, as that means the reminder was sent before your response was received. And while Census Takers will primarily visit households that have not responded to the Census, some households that have already responded will receive a visit as part of Census quality checks.
Census Takers and Covid-19
In addition to delaying in-person Census visits from mid-May until mid-August, the Census Bureau is taking several other steps to protect the health and safety of both Census Takers and the public. These include providing Census Takers with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and hand sanitizer.
In some cases, the Census Taker will simply leave the Census questionnaire in a water-resistant plastic bag at your door for you to return on your own. In others, the Census Taker can help you take the Census in person.
All Census Takers will carry official identification bearing their photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark, and an expiration date. Census Takers may also carry Census Bureau bags and other items with the Census Bureau logo.
The Census Bureau will never ask for:
- Your Social Security number
- Your bank account or credit card numbers
- Anything on behalf of a political party
- Money or donations
Is the Census Bureau Still Hiring Census Takers?
The Census Bureau is continuing to accept applications for temporary part-time positions with the 2020 Census, but many of the jobs have already been filled. To be eligible for a 2020 Census job, you must complete an application and answer assessment questions at 2020census.gov/jobs.
Taking the Census takes only a few minutes. Here’s how:
- Online: Go to my2020census.gov. Non-English speakers can select a different language at the bottom of the page.
- Phone: Call 844-330-2020 for English, 844-468-2020 for Spanish, or use these phone numbers to take the Census in 12 other languages.
- Mail: If you received a paper copy by mail, just fill it out, place it in the envelope provided and drop it in a mailbox.
To date, over 70% of Arlington households have already responded to the Census online, by phone or by mail. Ideally, the postcard will encourage the remaining 30% to self-respond, thus reducing the need for in-person follow-up.
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The U.S. Census counts every resident in the nation, including right here in Arlington County. As mandated by the U.S. Constitution, America gets just one chance each decade to count its population. The collected data help to determine things like the number of seats Virginia has in the House of Representatives, and how to distribute federal funds to local communities like ours. Take the Census here.