2020 Census

[Karen G]

Our census letter came today and I just finished completing the questionnaire online. Given the situation with the virus, it's a great way to gather the required information.

 

[pittle]

Well, as someone on the volunteer Census Committee for our town, thanks! We have trying to promote having people fill it out. Online is pretty easy. Just an FYI..............
Census Facts:

What is the Census?

• The Census provides an updated population count.
• Every 10 years, the government requires the Census be conducted nationwide.
• The Census is confidential and not shared for law enforcement purposes.
• Information about particular individuals cannot be released for 72 years.

Why is the Census important?
Where do we begin? Each person counted in the 2020 Census brings in $2,959 to the state of
Arizona and $343 to Goodyear. (Insert your State and Town)

• An accurate population count also allows Goodyear to plan for the future and receive its fair share of:
  • Representation – congressional, legislative and local districts (county districts)
  • Federal tax distribution ($675 billion a year)
  • Census helps fund services such as: transportation, health, housing, federal aid and disaster preparedness.
• Population (and Census info) also helps attract new businesses. The more the better!
• The state’s influence in presidential elections is also dependent on the state’s population

How do you complete the Census?
The Census starts April 1, 2020.

• Online (New!)
  • In March, a postcard will be sent to homes with directions for completing the Census online. If you don’t complete it online during a certain timeframe, Census workers will be notified to come to your home.
• In-Person
• Mail
• Phone

What if I live in more than one city (or have a summer/winter/vacation home)?

• You can only claim residency at one home.
• Choose primary residence (6 months + 1 day, or where you rest your head most of the time).
• Ask yourself where you spend the majority of your time or which place feels like home.

What are the Census questions?

• Age
• Ethnicity/Race
• Gender
• Rent or own home
• People living with you (how they are related to you)

Will my U.S. Citizenship be asked?

• As of June 2019, the Supreme Court stated that the citizenship question will not appear on the 2020 Census.

What about Canadians and other non-U.S. citizens?

• If a *Canadian citizen is living in Arizona on Census Day (April 1st) they can and should complete the Census here in Arizona.
• Regardless of whether or not a Canadian citizen lives in the Unites States (US) for six (6) months, they should take the Census in the state that is their primary residence while they are living in the US.
  • That is to say, if they live in Arizona for four (4) months and then return to Canada for eight (8) months then they can still be counted in Arizona as this is where they live a majority of the time when they are in the US.
  • If they leave the US before Census Day but would still like to be counted, they can complete the Census online (starting in March 2020).
• If a Canadian citizen splits their time between Arizona and another state before returning to Canada, then, whichever state they spend the most time in, while in the US, is where they should be counted.
  • That is to say, if they spend three (3) months in Arizona and two (2) months in Washington and then they return to Canada, their Arizona address is where they should be counted.
• If a Canadian citizen splits their time between two (2) states equally, they should take the Census in the state they live in on Census Day.
  • That is to say, if they live in Arizona for three (3) months and in Washington state for three (3) months, but will be in Arizona on Census Day, they should be counted in Arizona.

Note:

• *All rules stated above are applicable to both Canadians, other non-US citizens and/or other foreign-born residents who spend time living here in the United States.
• The Census is confidential and not shared for law enforcement purposes.
• Information about particular individuals cannot be released for 72 years.

 

[DaveNV]

I got mine today, and just finished filling it out, too. Easy. The hardest part was listing my ethnicity. As a Caucasian, I'm only used to checking the box that says White. This one wanted to know what KIND of white person I was. Let's see, I'm English, Irish, and Scottish, with a smattering of French, German, and Scandinavian thrown in. After considering trying to hammer that mixture into the little box, I finally just typed English, and let it go at that.

Dave

 

[Brett]

I got mine today, and just finished filling it out, too. Easy. The hardest part was listing my ethnicity. As a Caucasian, I'm only used to checking the box that says White. This one wanted to know what KIND of white person I was. Let's see, I'm English, Irish, and Scottish, with a smattering of French, German, and Scandinavian thrown in. After considering trying to hammer that mixture into the little box, I finally just typed English, and let it go at that.

Dave

I haven't got my census form yet
So the census form now asks what KIND of white person? ------- like a percentage of whiteness ?

 

[DaveNV]

I haven't got my census form yet
So the census form now asks what KIND of white person? ------- like a percentage of whiteness ?

I read it to be the origin of where the white person's family history originated. The examples they gave were words like English, French, German, Irish, and such. I tried not entering anything in the box, and it wouldn't go forward till I put something there. Seemed odd, as my family has been in the USA since the 1600's. At what point is my heritage "American?"

Dave

 

[Passepartout]

I opened mine and went online to fill it out. Easy peasy. DW thought I should volunteer to do in-person interviews, but that much face-to-face contact is probably not wise right now. I also had to consider what kind of white person I am. Like Dave, my ancestors were here to meet the Mayflower- give or take a few hundred miles. So I just entered England in the box.
I think they are staggering the mailing of the forms, and today is supposedly the first wave of them, so if you haven't received yours yet don't get all lathered up. It's probably in the mail.

Jim

 

[slip]

We got ours in Hawaii yesterday and my wife did it online too, so we are done. She said it was easy.

I remember asking her about this a few weeks ago because in all the years we have been together, 36 now, I never remember filling it out and I asked if she had done it. She said she thinks she did but really don’t remember. Well, we did this one anyway.

 

[Karen G]

I remember asking her about this a few weeks ago because in all the years we have been together, 36 now, I never remember filling it out and I asked if she had done it. She said she thinks she did but really don’t remember. Well, we did this one anyway.

Now that you mention it, I really don’t remember previous censuses either. Strange!

 

[b2bailey]

Now that you mention it, I really don’t remember previous censuses either. Strange!

I'm signed up to be a paid Census Worker. Several months ago I worked on Phase I, which was canvassing for addresses. That part was easy. I'm not sure whether I will be up to the task of making in-person contact with those who chose not to do the online response. I actually worked the Census 20 years ago and thought it was fun. But I was much younger then.

 

[Karen G]

I actually worked the Census 20 years ago and thought it was fun. But I was much younger then.

How was it done then? Was it all personal interviews?

 

[b2bailey]

How was it done then? Was it all personal interviews?

I'm prior years, Census forma wwere mailed to all known residential addresere The personal interviews were done only with those who did not mail in the form. This time, they will first do the online gathering. I believe there will be a mailing after that, to those who did not respond online. The attempt to make personal contact is the 'last resort'. However, there is a special team which gathers data from homeless people, because having a residence is not a requirement to be counted.

 

[Karen G]

I'm prior years, Census forma wwere mailed to all known residential addresere The personal interviews were done only with those who did not mail in the form. This time, they will first do the online gathering. I believe there will be a mailing after that, to those who did not respond online. The attempt to make personal contact is the 'last resort'. However, there is a special team which gathers data from homeless people, because having a residence is not a requirement to be counted.

I must have mailed in the forms in prior census years but I surely don’t remember it. It’s so convenient to have the internet for things like this.

 

[pittle]

Now that you mention it, I really don’t remember previous censuses either. Strange!

If you had ever gotten the long one, you would remember! It even wanted to know how many toilets you had in your home.

 

[WVBaker]

I got mine today, and just finished filling it out, too. Easy. The hardest part was listing my ethnicity. As a Caucasian, I'm only used to checking the box that says White. This one wanted to know what KIND of white person I was. Let's see, I'm English, Irish, and Scottish, with a smattering of French, German, and Scandinavian thrown in. After considering trying to hammer that mixture into the little box, I finally just typed English, and let it go at that.

Dave

That's fine, until the DNA police show up wanting more information.

 

[AnnaS]

Received mine today. Have not opened it. Will work on it tomorrow.

 

[geekette]

I read it to be the origin of where the white person's family history originated. The examples they gave were words like English, French, German, Irish, and such. I tried not entering anything in the box, and it wouldn't go forward till I put something there. Seemed odd, as my family has been in the USA since the 1600's. At what point is my heritage "American?"

Dave

Good, mine is paper, haven't opened it yet. I will be skipping that question. I am some kind of EuroMutt and can't be sure quite what my grandparents were, let alone their grandparents. Can't see that it matters one bit, count me as a living human and let's move on.

 

[bogey21]

I got mine today, and just finished filling it out, too. Easy. The hardest part was listing my ethnicity. As a Caucasian, I'm only used to checking the box that says White. This one wanted to know what KIND of white person I was. Let's see, I'm English, Irish, and Scottish, with a smattering of French, German, and Scandinavian thrown in. After considering trying to hammer that mixture into the little box, I finally just typed English, and let it go at that.

That one stumped me too. I tried skipping it but it wouldn't let me. I typed in "American" which it accepted...

George

 

[DaveNV]

That one stumped me too. I tried skipping it but it wouldn't let me. I typed in "American" which it accepted...

George

It did? That's the one word I didn't consider entering in the box. I should have tried it. Next time!

Dave

 

[b2bailey]

Just completed mine. It was shorter, faster than I had anticipated. There must be a long version also.
Glad to have read above regarding ethnicity. I don't have one I identify with.
I entered: American Varietal

 

[bbodb1]

How in the world will the responses to that question be of any practical use?
The short form (which is what I must have received) contained very few questions. Beyond counting the number of people in our household, it asked nothing else of any value. Beyond redistricting, this census will have little statistical or research value when looking at the responses to the short form.
What a waste.

 

[Talent312]

Regarding White ethnicity...
DW just told me that Ancestry.com changed her origins due to "improvements" in DNA interpretation. Maybe it's becuz she paid them more $$. Anyway, she's now more Norwegian than Scottish, so we got that Q wrong... Oh, well.

 

[Luanne]

I didn't get a form, just a letter with the website url so I could go online to fill it out. It was simple but I had the same issue with the ethnicity question as others.

 

[dioxide45]

Anyone get a second notice in the mail for the 2020 Census? I had a second letter come with the exact same code about a week after the first. The first notice was a larger envelope with the notice folded in half. The second was a standard letter envelope with the notice trifolded. Nothing like paying to mail out the same thing twice.

 

[Panina]

Anyone get a second notice in the mail for the 2020 Census? I had a second letter come with the exact same code about a week after the first. The first notice was a larger envelope with the notice folded in half. The second was a standard letter envelope with the notice trifolded. Nothing like paying to mail out the same thing twice.

My mom got two notices within 10 days. I just got my first.

 

[WVBaker]

We also received two different sized envelopes. I guess it's your choice, full sized or compact.