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Counting on US

2020 Census invitations coming soon to your mailbox

Photo from census.gov The portions of Warren County in green have been identified as less likely to respond because of internet connectivity issues and households will receive the traditional paper census questionnaire along with the first invitation in the next few days.

Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution calls for a census every 10 years.

In the next few days, most of us will have the opportunity to comply with that measure.

Invitations to complete the 2020 Census will start hitting mailboxes across the country starting March 12 and until March 20.

“We want folks to be aware… that it is coming (and to) be on the lookout for the invitation,” Susan Licate, media specialist with the Philadelphia Regional Census Center, told the Times Observer on Tuesday.

She said a preview of the invitation is available at 2020census.gov and said reviewing that is important “so they become familiar with the document so they’re responding to an official US Census Bureau document (and) not something fraudulent that may be floating around out there.”

Photo from census.gov Many of the households in Warren County will receive this paper census questionnaire in the coming days along with an initial invitation to complete the census process via the internet or phone.

The invitation will direct people to either complete the Census questionnaire online or over the phone.

“We will not call people to respond,” Licate said. “You have to initiate the call.”

Households that complete the census during this “self-response” phase won’t be contacted further by the Census Bureau.

Those who don’t respond to the initial invitation will receive two reminder postcards over the ensuing couple of weeks. Lack of response to those will result in the traditional paper form being sent. No response to that will result in a census taker coming to your home.

Licate explained that some portions of the country will receive the paper form on the first mailing. That will be primarily areas that are underserved from a telephone and internet perspective. Much of the counts falls into the designation.

Part of the effort to educate the public on the process to unfold over the next several weeks is to combat scams that might try to imitate the census to obtain personal information.

Licate pointed out that the Census Bureau will never ask for money, donations, express affiliation or income and doesn’t require use of an app or software.

“We want folks to be aware and be safe,” she said. “It’s a Constitutional mandate…. (All) have an opportunity and a right to be counted.”

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