PLAINFIELD, IL — The U.S. Census Bureau representatives will visit Plainfield households next week to follow up on those that have not yet responded to the 2020 Census, the village said in a release Thursday.
When visiting homes, census workers will ask basic questions including how many people live in the house. Responses to the survey are only used to produce statistics and are protected by federal law. If no one is home, the census taker will leave a notice of their visit with information about how to respond to the Census online, by phone, or by mail.
In order to ensure safety, census takers will wear masks and follow local public health guidelines when they visit residences. All representatives are required to complete a virtual COVID-19 training on social distancing and other health and safety protocols before beginning their work in neighborhoods, according to the U.S. census Bureau website.
Households can still respond now by completing and mailing back the paper questionnaire they received, by responding online, or by phone at 844-330-2020. Census responses will be collected until Oct. 31.
Census takers can be easily identified by a valid government ID badge with their photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark, and an expiration date on the badge. To confirm a census taker’s identity, residents may also contact their regional census center at 312-579-1500.
The U.S. Constitution mandates a census of the population every 10 years. Everyone’s participation is important to ensure an accurate and complete count because census statistics are used to determine the number of seats each state holds in the U.S. House of Representatives and inform how billions of dollars in federal funds will be allocated by state, local, and federal lawmakers annually for the next 10 years.
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This article originally appeared on the Plainfield Patch
