Nearly every household will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census from either a postal worker or a census worker.
Most areas of the country are likely to respond online, so most households will receive a letter asking you to go online to complete the census questionnaire.
WHAT WE WILL SEND IN THE MAIL
- March 12-20: An invitation to respond online to the 2020 Census (some households will also receive paper questionnaires)
- March 16-24: A reminder letter
If you haven’t responded yet:
- March 26-April 3: A reminder postcard
- April 20-27: A final reminder postcards before we follow up in person
Every household will have the option of responding online, by mail, or by phone.
What to Expect in the Mail
When it’s time to respond, most households will receive an invitation in the mail. Depending on how likely your area is to respond online, you’ll receive either an invitation encouraging you to respond online or an invitation along with a paper questionnaire.
Letter Invitation
We plan on working with the U.S. Postal Service to stagger the delivery of these invitations over several days. This way we can spread out the number of users responding online. And we’ll be able to serve you better if you need help over the phone.
Note: We have special procedures to count people who don’t live in households, such as students living in university housing or people experiencing homelessness.
In Case You Miss Our Initial Letter In the Mail
We understand you might miss our initial letter in the mail. Every household that hasn’t already responded will receive reminders and will eventually receive a paper questionnaire. It doesn’t matter which initial invitation you get or how you get it—we will follow up in person with all households that don’t respond.
For more information, follow the U.S. Census Bureau on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, or visit their website: www.census.gov.
