2020 Census: How Do I Take It?

The 2020 Census is happening now and it’s very important to be counted. The census takes place once every ten years and counts everyone living in the United States. It’s easy to take – it only takes about ten minutes to complete, and there are three ways to take it. But first, let’s do some quick reminders:

• Your answers are 100% confidential and federal law protects your responses. So don’t worry – your information is safe!
• The information you provide can only be used to provide statistics and cannot be used by any government agency or court.
• The census, or any person representing the census, will NEVER ask for your social security number, banking or credit card info, and they will NEVER ask you for money. The census is 100% free.

Thanks for those reminders. So, how do I take the census?

Great question! As mentioned before, there are three ways:

1. By mail
2. Online
3. By phone

Let’s break each of those down!

Mail

By now, you should have received a few census related items in the mail. Invitations went out in March and the actual census went out in April. If you haven’t taken the census yet, you may have also received a reminder postcard or two as well.

To respond by mail:

1. Verify the questionnaire. You can do this by making sure the outer envelope’s return address says “U.S. Census Bureau” and “U.S. Department of Commerce.” The return envelope to mail back your completed census will be addressed to either Jeffersonville, IN or Phoenix, AZ.
2. Now you are ready to fill out the census!
3. Once you are done, put the census in the enclosed return envelope and place it in the mail. Postage has been taken care of.

Online

Responding online is a fairly simple way to respond to the census; all you need is a computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. It is important to note, if you are filling out the census online you cannot save your progress. Be sure to allow about 10-15 minutes to log on and complete the census since it must be completed in one sitting. Let’s get started!

To respond online:

1. Go to my2020census.org
2. Locate your Census ID on the letter or questionnaire you received from the Census Bureau. If you cannot find your letter or locate your ID, that’s ok. You can still complete the census without it. Simply visit the online form and select “Start Questionnaire.” Below the ID field, choose the link that says, “If you do not have a Census ID, click here.”
3. If you have your ID, select the “Start Questionnaire” button. You will be prompted to enter your 12 digit ID.
4. You are now ready to fill out the form!

Phone

So online questionnaires and snail mail are not your thing. That’s ok – you can complete the census over the phone!

To respond by phone:

1. Call 1-844-330-2020
2. Follow the prompts.

If English is not your first language and you or someone you know prefer to take the census in your native tongue, there are over 15 languages available to you.  Follow the link https://2020census.gov/en/ways-to-respond/responding-by-phone.html for a complete list of languages and phone numbers.

Well, that’s it – three easy ways to fill out the census, three easy ways to make sure you are counted in the 2020 Census. 9 questions and 10 minutes of your time to determine how $675 billion dollars is divvied up between communities across the nation every year for the next 10 years.

Your voice matters. Be counted.