Deadline for completing 2020 Census extended to Oct. 31 amid pandemic

The deadline to complete the 2020 Census originally set for July 31 has been extended to Oct. 31 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Getting an accurate census count is critically important and required by law. If you do not respond, the U.S. Census Bureau will follow up in person to collect your response.

As of Labor Tribune press time, the census self-response rate was only 60.3 percent in Missouri and 64.9 percent in Illinois. The good news is that the census takes less than five minutes to complete, and it can be done online, by phone or by mail.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
The census is the foundation for redistricting – an accurate count is essential to creating fair maps that truly represent our communities, determining how legislative and congressional districts will be drawn, and how many congressional districts your state will have for the next decade.

The census provides data that lawmakers, business owners, school districts and others use to provide daily services, products and support for you and your community.

It also determines how billions of dollars in federal funding will be distributed to hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads, and other resources.

COMPLETING THE CENSUS
In March, the U.S. Census Bureau mailed each home an invitation to respond to a short questionnaire online or by phone. In April, census questionnaires were mailed to homes that had not yet responded online or by phone.

Census takers will begin interviewing at homes that haven’t responded to the census on Aug. 11, following federal, state and local health authorities’ guidelines with respect to COVID-19.

The Census Bureau is required by law to keep all personal information confidential. The data is used only for statistical purposes.

You can take the 2020 Census online at my2020census.gov, by phone at 844-330-2020 or by completing the questionnaire mailed to your home.