Census Day is April 1 and is observed nationwide. According to the Census Bureau, by April 1 "every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. Once the invitation arrives, you should respond for your home in one of three ways: online, by phone, or by mail.”
The census is conducted every 10 years by the Census Bureau and collects information about people who live in the United States. In mid-March homes began receiving invitations to take the 2020 census. The invitation provides a unique code to access the census survey online. The census survey is short and simple; it does not ask about citizenship. The results of the census are used to count the population, determine how federal dollars are allocated in your community, determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, and also to draw congressional and state legislative districts. In short, filling out the census is important.
If you are a student you may be wondering how you will be counted for the census. Check out the resources below for more information:
Census Bureau Statement on Counting College Students during COVID-19 - If you were living in on-campus housing during Spring 2020 semester, UMD is currently working on ways to count you. Students who were living off-campus at the start of Spring 2020 semester should fill out the census for that address in cooperation with others living in the home.
How to Respond - Includes language support, online response guide, and phone response guide.
Responding Online - If you do not have your Census ID visit the online form and select “Start Questionnaire.” Below the ID field, click the link that says, “If you do not have a Census ID, click here.”
For further information, you can check out our Census 2020 webpage:
https://lib.d.umn.edu/research-collections/government-information/census2020
You can also visit the official Census 2020 website for many frequently asked questions and other important information: https://2020census.gov/en.html