Complete Your Census Data Now
Is your census still on your desk awaiting completion? Or do you have a sticker on your computer monitor reminding you to complete your online census? If so (or any other scenario where you haven’t completed your census yet), please go ahead and do it. As today.
After the deadline for replies was previously extended to October 31, the Supreme Court yesterday sided with the Trump administration , allowing the vote count to close early tomorrow, October 15 . Tomorrow!
What Happens to the Census Deadlines?
If you’re not sure about the timing of the 2020 census, it’s not your fault – the date has changed a lot. According to the New York Times , the initial deadline for the pandemic was late August. This was pushed back to October 31 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but was then pushed back to September 30. The courts have then reinstated the October 31st deadline, but yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling means that the ability to complete our census and return your census will end abruptly tomorrow, October 15th.
You can read the entire Times article to better understand the political rationale and implications of this move, but first fill out your damn census. Here’s how.
How can I complete the census by the deadline?
According to the United States Census Bureau, there are three different ways to complete a census :
online
You can fill out the form online at 2020Census.gov until October 15, 2020, 11:59 PM Hawaii Standard Time. Technically, this means East Coast residents have until 6 a.m. ET on October 16. (But please don’t wait until then.) The whole process takes about 10 minutes.
By mail
If you still have the form of a census that was mailed to you, you can send it in the same way, just make sure the envelope is postmarked October 15, 2020 (and drop the mail-in vote while you are. If you are going to vote this way ). Again, it will take you about 10 minutes to complete the form.
By phone
You can also send your census responses by telephone . This service will be available during normal October 15, 2020, which is from 7:00 AM to 2:00 AM EST for English and Spanish speakers and from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM EST for all other languages.
This page has all the phone numbers you need, but they are handy:
- English (for the 50 states and Washington DC): 844-330-2020
- Spanish (for 50 states and Washington DC): 844-468-2020
- English (for Puerto Rican residents): 844-418-2020
- Spanish (for Puerto Rican residents): 844-426-2020
- TDD (Phone Display Device): 844-467-2020
- Mandarin Chinese: 844-391-2020
- Chinese (Cantonese): 844-398-2020
- Vietnamese: 844-461-2020
- Korean: 844-392-2020
- Russian: 844-417-2020
- Arabic: 844-416-2020
- Tagalog: 844-478-2020
- Polish: 844-479-2020
- French: 844-494-2020
- Haitian Creole: 844-477-2020
- Portuguese: 844-474-2020
- Japanese: 844-460-2020
Waiting times can be long, so you may be given the opportunity to ask the Census Bureau to call you back at another time (tomorrow or earlier). If you think you missed (or actually received) a call from the Census Bureau, but want to verify that the call was legal, call 844-809-7717 (in English) or 844-809-7718 (in Spanish) to speak with a local. Census Bureau representative from 7 am to 12 pm EST.