We shop online, we read the news online, we watch funny dog videos online, and catch up with our friends online, so — big surprise — we can all be counted online for the 2020 census. And what great timing when we are all at home these days!
All you need is a phone or computer with internet access to submit your census survey. If you still have the letter that was mailed to your household from the Census Bureau, look for your 12-digit “Census ID.” It will save a step or two as you submit your information. But either way, go ahead and log in even if you can’t find your ID. The Census Bureau will accept your information with or without the assigned Census ID.
Completing the online survey is easy. Once you enter some basic information about the house, apartment or mobile home where you live, you will answer several questions about each person who lives there. The questions are not difficult, but you will have to complete them all in a single session. If you get stuck on a question you won’t be able to save your work and come back later. So it’s best to rehearse first. Simply visit this web address, which describes every question on the survey, and jot down the answer to each one.
Then go to the actual survey site at https://2020census.gov/ and complete the real thing.
The coronavirus has scrambled the lives of many people, including college students who are home instead of school right now, so the hardest question might be who to include in your household. The general rule is people should be counted at the location where they live most of the year. People moving from one permanent location to another should be counted at the place they were living April 1. College students living on or off-campus in a college town are generally counted where they attend school. To learn more, or if you have a situation such as joint custody of children in your household, visit https://2020census.gov/en/who-to-count.html. It has a very good list of who to count and where they should be counted.
If you don’t have a way to submit your household information online, you are also welcome to call. Call 844-330-2020, or find the number associated with your preferred language.
There’s no reason to wait to submit your census form. Everyone in your household counts but only if they are counted. The crazy cat videos will still be on YouTube when you are done.