2020 Census

Shailaja Marion News

Why Is Completing The Census Important?

Funding

The distribution of billions in federal funds, grants, and support for states, counties, and communities are based on census data. This money is spent on schools, hospitals, roads, public works, and other vital programs.

Redistricting & Representation

Every 10 years, the results of the census are used to reapportion the House of Representatives, determining how many seats each state gets. After each census, state officials redraw the boundaries of the congressional and state legislative districts in each state to account for population shifts.

Constitution

The count is mandated by the Constitution and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, a nonpartisan government agency. It counts everyone living in the United States regardless of their immigration status.

The Census Bureau is legally required to protect the information submitted and any information you share can ONLY be used to create statistics. Answers cannot be shared with/used by law enforcement or any branch of the government.

THERE IS NO CITIZENSHIP QUESTION ON THE 2020 CENSUS.


Who Needs To Complete The Census?

Everyone living in the U.S. and its five territories is required by law to be counted in the 2020 Census. Some special living situations may question how to respond, including:

  • students
  • service members
  • people in correctional facilities
  • people who move on Census Day (April 1, 2020)
  • people who do not have a fixed address

Check out this page for information on how people in these groups will be counted.


How Do You Complete The Census?

For the first time, the 2020 Census can be completed online!

Things to remember when completing the Census online: you cannot save your progress so the questionnaire must be completed in one sitting. (Preview the questions asked here.)

Multiple languages are available, including Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, Arabic, Tagalong, Polish, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, and Japanese. There are also web pages and guides in 59 non-English languages, including American Sign Language, to help you out!

While the quickest way to complete the census is with the unique ID that comes with the letter sent from the U.S. Census Bureau, the questionnaire can be completed without it.

Completing the 2020 Census online is the quickest way to do it; however, there are other options available.

The 2020 Census can also be completed by phone.

The English and Spanish Language Hours of Operation are open every day from 7am to 2am Easter Time, while non-English and non-Spanish customer service representatives are open Monday through Friday from 8am to 10pm Eastern Time.

A list of phone numbers for these options can be found here.

And last, but not least, the 2020 Census can be completed via mail by sending back the paper questionnaire sent to your home. If you are worried, there are several ways to confirm that the 2020 questionnaire you received is legitimate. Check out this page for more details.


Currently, self-response rates (online, phone, mail) are due by October 31, 2020, but the League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Tulsa highly recommends completing your 2020 Census prior to that date.

The quicker a household submits their 2020 Census, the less likely a U.S. Census Bureau field agent will physically visit their home.