What Do You Need To Know?
The Census is pretty straightforward. It's in the Constitution that the country count its population once every 10 years. This year, you can send your responses online, by phone, or by mail. You'll receive an invitation to respond beginning in mid-March. You can choose how you want to respond.
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Responding is important.
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A complete count helps ensure that services like Medicare, Medicaid, social security, and public transportation can support those who need them.
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Responding is safe.
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All of the information you share with the Census is protected by law and cannot be used against you.
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Responding is accessible.
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The Census Bureau is doing everything it can to ensure response formats are accessible. You can respond online in English or 12 additional languages. There will be a video in American Sign Language to guide you through the online response. You can respond in English by TDD at 844-467-2020. The Census will provide braille and large print guides available online to assist with completing the paper questionnaire. If necessary, you can respond in person beginning in mid-May.
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Get Counted During the #2020Census
Important Web Links and Phone Numbers
There are three ways to fill out the 2020 Census Questionnaire:
- You can do it on the Internet
- You can do it by telephone
- You can do it by filling out a paper questionnaire and mailing it in
- If you do not respond by the end of April a Census Bureau employee will visit you
Here are the key contact information for filling out the census questionnaire and having questions answered:
Online questionnaire and information
- To fill out the questionnaire go to: https://my2020census.gov/
- To obtain information about the census: https://2020census.gov/
Telephone questionnaire and information
LANGUAGE LINE TOLL-FREE NUMBER
- English 844-330-2020
- Spanish 844-468-2020
- Chinese (Mandarin) 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
- Telephone Display Device (TDD) 844-467-2020
If you need local Census Bureau assistance contact the following partnership representatives:
- In Missouri: Emmett Morris (morris@2020census.gov)
Get Counted During the #2020Census
Trails Regional Library is working with the United States Census to make sure Johnson and Lafayette Counties get an accurate count. We're hosting Census Taker recruiting events, sharing information and awareness about common Census misconceptions, and we're helping folks complete their Census online in our branches on library computers.
Achieving a complete count requires more than 500,000 temporary workers. Rates start at $16.50 and reimbursement for work-related mileage and expenses is included!
Learn more here: 2020census.gov/en/jobs
There are many misconceptions about the Census. Let us help you understand the importance!
Responding is important.
The 2020 Census will influence community funding and congressional representation for the next decade. Information collected in the census will inform the allocation of more than $675 billion in federal funds for states and communities each year. That includes money for things like:
- First responders
- Medicare Part B
- Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program
- Libraries and community centers
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Senior Community Service Employment Program
All 2020 Census responses are kept confidential and private. It’s the law. Your responses cannot be shared and cannot be used against you by any government agency or court in any way. It’s also an oath every Census Bureau employee must swear to uphold.
The Census Will Never Ask Certain Questions
During the 2020 Census, the Census Bureau will never ask you for:
- Your Social Security number.
- Money or donations.
- Anything on behalf of a political party.
- Your bank or credit card account numbers.
If someone claiming to be from the Census Bureau contacts you via email or phone and asks you for one of these things, it's a scam, and you should not cooperate. For more information, visit Avoiding Fraud and Scams.
There are many ways to respond. Beginning in mid-March 2020, you can respond to the census. Many libraries, including all branches of Trails Regional Library, and community centers will have public computers available for you to respond online at 2020CENSUS.GOV. You can also respond by phone. Census takers will work with shelters, meal centers, group homes, and other places where you may receive services to make sure everyone is counted, including babies and young children. If you or your children are staying with a relative or friend, make sure they include you on their census response form.
Choose the option that is most comfortable for you. Large-print guides to the questionnaire are available upon request. From May – July 2020, census takers will visit households that have not yet responded. A census taker can assist if you need help completing your form.
Check out this interactive map of Census Assistance Sites from Count Me In KC:
