​Census Takers, Wake County, To Start Visiting Neighborhoods On Tuesday

Press release from the Wake County Government:

by Stephen R. Walston on 8/10/2020 7:30 AM
Category: WakeGOV Home Page

Starting
tomorrow, Tuesday, Aug. 11, census takers will visit homes in Wake County that haven’t
yet responded to the 2020 Census.

“It’s critical
that we get an accurate census count,” said Vickie Adamson, vice chair of the
Wake County Board of Commissioners. “The census determines so much—from the
amount of federal funding we get for things like emergency services and child
nutrition to making sure we are appropriately represented in Congress.”

Here are three
things to know:

1. Census
   takers will wear masks and follow public health guidelines when they visit
   homes. All census takers complete a virtual COVID-19 training on social
   distancing and other health and safety protocols before beginning their work in
   neighborhoods.
2. If the
   census taker who visits your home does not speak your language, you may request
   a return visit from a census taker who does speak your language.
3. If no
   one is home when the census taker visits, the census taker will leave a notice
   of their visit with information about how to respond online, by phone or by
   mail.

As of today, Wake
County’s self-response rate is 68.6%. That’s higher than North Carolina’s rate
of 59.3% and the nation’s total of 63.2%.

Like everything
in 2020, Census efforts were impacted by COVID-19. The self-response period was
initially extended from July 31 to Oct. 31, but it was recently announced that
the deadline is being pushed up to Sept. 30. That means less time in the field
for enumerators.

“If you’re
visited by a census taker, rest assured that the experience will be short and
safe,” Adamson said. “That said—there’s still time to avoid the knock
altogether if you fill out the census online or by phone.”

Visit 2020census.gov to complete the census today online or access
telephone numbers you can use to respond in a variety of languages.

This press release was produced by the Wake County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.