WITH CENSUS DEADLINE LOOMING, FILL OUT YOUR FORM AND REACH OUT TO OTHERS
Mark residence based on where you were on April 1

Berkeley, California (Tuesday, September 01, 2020) - With less than a month to complete the Census, increase Berkeley's tally by taking ten minutes to fill out your own online form -- or, if you've responded already, reach out to friends, family, and neighbors to remind them to get counted. 

Those who moved away from Berkeley since April 1 or students who would have been in Berkeley had it not been for the pandemic should all mark Berkeley as their place of residence, according to federal guidelines. 

Visit my2020census.gov to respond online, and tell those you know to visit the site. 

By the end of August, 70.3 percent of Berkeleyans had filled out their forms. That's higher than the 67.3 percent for California as a whole and not far off the 72.3 percent of Berkeleyans that filled out their Census form in 2010. Still, we aim for better.

This once-a-decade count of all people in our nation is critical to getting federal funding -- an estimated $10,000 over the next decade. It also helps the City better plan for the infrastructure and services needed to support our students. 

A completed form has that power. 

For those who didn't complete forms, Census takers visiting homes

Census takers are visiting homes of those who have not yet responded. 

These Census workers have COVID-19 safety training, will wear masks and will stay outside at a safe distance during visits, which will happen seven days a week from 9am to 9pm.

If someone visits your home to collect information about the Census, check their ID to verify they are a Census Bureau employee. Census takers will carry a badge with:

• their photograph
• a US Department of Commerce watermark
• an expiration date

They will also have a Census Bureau issued phone and may carry bags or other equipment with the Census Bureau logo. To verify the employment of a local census taker, call 800-992-3530 and press 0.

If no one is home when a census taker visits, they will leave a notice with information on how to respond. Census workers will attempt to reach you up to six times.

The Census questionnaire

The Census questionnaires asks for basic information about your household:

• How many people live there
• Whether you own or rent
• A phone number to follow up

For each person listed on your response, it will ask you to provide their name, sex, age, and race/ethnicity. The Census is confidential and will not ask about citizenship status.

In this time of great need, filling out a Census form is an act of service to help bring resources to our community. Fill yours out at my2020census.gov and reach out to those who may have moved away.

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