2020 Census Operational Adjustments Due to COVID-19 The 2020 Census is underway and more households across America are responding every day. Online, phone, and mailed self-responses will continue throughout the data collection process. In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the U.S. Census Bureau is adjusting 2020 Census operations in order to: • Protect the health and safety of the American public and Census Bureau employees. • Implement guidance from federal, state, and local authorities regarding COVID-19. • Ensure a complete and accurate count of all communities. Under the adjusted 2020 Census operational plan, field activities would resume after June 1, 2020, as area census offices begin returning to full staff capacity. In-person activities, including enumeration, office work, and processing activities, will incorporate the most current guidance from authorities to ensure the health and safety of staff and the public. Activity/Operation Original Schedule NEW SCHEDULE Self-Response Phase March 12–July 31 March 12–October 31 April 2–June 5 April 2–September 3 January 21–April 30 Tentatively January 21–June 19, but may need further review and coordination Online, phone, and mailed self-responses continue throughout the data collection process. Group Quarters (e-Response and Paper Enumeration) Many group quarters have already begun responding through our e-response enumeration option. Remote Alaska Early operation to reach parts of Alaska that may be difficult to reach later in the year and whose populations depart for other activities. The operation will be mostly completed on the original planned schedule, though some areas with yearround populations will be enumerated when it is safe to do so. Connect with us @uscensusbureau For more information: 2020CENSUS.GOV D-FS-GP-EN-022 April 13, 2020 Activity/Operation Original Schedule NEW SCHEDULE Field Offices at Peak Operations March 1 June 1 March 15–April 17 June 13 –July 9 March 15–April 17 Needs further review and coordination with outside partners and stakeholders. March 16–April 30 June 14–July 29 May 13–July 31 August 11–October 31 Managers and staff commence administrative, training, deployment, and support activities for peak data collection operations. This includes selecting and hiring field staff. Update Leave—Stateside Census takers drop off invitations to respond and paper questionnaires at the front doors of 5 million households stateside while updating the addresses. Update Leave—Puerto Rico Update Leave Operation for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, approximately 1.7 million households, will be coordinated separately. Update Enumerate Census takers interview about 2,000 households in remote parts of northern Maine and southeast Alaska. Nonresponse Followup (NRFU) Census takers will interview households in person. In-Person Group Quarters Enumeration April 2–June 5 July 1– September 3 Group quarters that remain a part of our in-person group quarters enumeration efforts will begin in July. Service Based Enumeration March 30–April 1 Needs further review and coordination with outside partners and stakeholders. March 30–July 31 Needs further review and coordination with outside partners and stakeholders. We’re working with service providers at soup kitchens, shelters, and regularly scheduled food vans to count the people they serve. Mobile Questionnaire Assistance Census Bureau staff assists people with responding online at places people gather (events, grocery stores, etc.). 2020CENSUS.GOV Activity/Operation Original Schedule NEW SCHEDULE Count of People Experiencing Homelessness Outdoors April 1 Needs further review and coordination with outside partners and stakeholders. April 9–May 4 Tentatively September 3–September 28, but may need further review and coordination. July 31, 2020– December 31, 2020 October 31, 2020– April 30, 2021 January 1, 2021– March 30, 2021 May 1, 2021– July 31, 2021 By December 31 Deliver by April 30, 2021 President Delivers Apportionment Counts to Congress Within 7 days of start of legislative session or approximately 10–20 days after receipt. Within 14 days of receipt. Deliver Redistricting Counts to States By April 1, 2021 Deliver by July 31, 2021 Census takers count people under bridges, in parks, in all-night businesses, etc. Enumeration of Transitory Locations Census takers count people staying at campgrounds, RV parks, marinas, and hotels if they do not usually live elsewhere. Process Apportionment Counts ​ fter collection activities are complete, A Census Bureau experts run and review output from programs to unduplicate responses, determine final housing unit status, populate any missing housing unit data on household size, and finalize the universe to be included in the apportionment count file. Process Redistricting Data Census Bureau experts run and review programs to populate any missing demographic data for each household, run differential privacy programs to ensure confidentiality, and run tabulation programs for each state delivery. Deliver Apportionment Counts to the President By law, the Census Bureau will deliver each state’s population total, which determines its number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. By law, the Census Bureau will deliver the local counts each state needs to complete legislative redistricting. 2020CENSUS.GOV