Census workers are beginning to knock on doors of households that have not responded to the 2020 census. In Michigan, they’re starting this canvassing in Lansing and Oakland County. Door to door efforts began August 6 and will end on September 30.
Kerry Ebersole-Singh is the Michigan Statewide Census Director. She says the most work needs to be done in Detroit, but that won’t start until next week.
Ebersole-Singh says door-to-door census takers are operating with health and safety in mind.
“They will be wearing masks and be social distancing after they hit on your door, they will be complying with all public health guidelines. But they’re still going to knock on your door because we need to get you counted.”
She says the U.S. Census Bureau has been hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic, and needs to collect data quickly.
“They’re going to keep coming by your house until September 30. That is the new deadline of data collection issued by the U.S. Census Bureau. So if you have not filled out that census form, they are going to make several attempts to get you to complete that form.”
According to Ebersole-Singh, the original deadline to collect the data was the end of October.
She says if a household has not completed the census, census workers might come to their door multiple times in order to make sure they get counted.
“My simple message is ‘don’t delay, fill it out today.’ It’s really important to our community, it’s billions of dollars at stake, and by being counted, you can help your community.”
