Author Topic: Completing Census 2020 by paper form in mail  (Read 1502 times)

slackmax

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Completing Census 2020 by paper form in mail
« on: April 02, 2020, 06:44:54 AM »
If someone cannot access the internet to fill out the census, will the government automatically mail the person a census form, or does the person have to request it, by calling the 800 number?

The census mailings to date are unclear about this. They say the government 'may' mail a paper form to the respondent, if he cannot access the internet, and say that a person 'can' respond by mail.   

Yes, I know that I can call the 800 number and ask for the answer, but I really want to avoid that rabbit hole.       


Anyone know?   The person has gotten 3 mailings chiding him to go online, but still no paper form.       Just vagueness.

Thanks 

teen persuasion

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Re: Completing Census 2020 by paper form in mail
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2020, 10:25:50 AM »
The census organisation will eventually mail nonresponders a paper form by a certain date (don't recall the specific date).

The idea is to encourage online or phone response first.  Only those that don't respond will be sent a paper form.  Then later, those that still hadn't responded would get a visit by an enumerator.  Not sure if those will still happen, now.  Last date to respond is in July.

teen persuasion

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Re: Completing Census 2020 by paper form in mail
« Reply #2 on: April 02, 2020, 10:52:41 AM »
I looked online for a mailing date for paper forms, and couldn't find a firm date.  I did find that coronavirus concerns have pushed most dates out a few extra weeks, so the new deadline for responding is August 14.

My first letter with our ID for responding said "if you don't respond online, we will mail a paper form in a few weeks".  The mass mailings are on a rolling basis, not all on X date.  We received a second letter for a former rental apartment in our house, no longer rented, a week or two later.  Then received a postcard reminder for the first letter (though I'd already responded online) - IIRC, that's expected, the first follow-up is blanket just like the first letters.  But later follow-up should be targeted to nonresponders only.

I responded for the unoccupied address, too.  There's an option to report  no one lives there now.  I wanted to make sure no enumerators had to visit us to straighten it out.  Very easy.

Frankies Girl

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Re: Completing Census 2020 by paper form in mail
« Reply #3 on: April 02, 2020, 11:09:07 AM »
So if the person is communicating with you by phone... can't you just do it for them online?

Get them on the phone, enter the identifier for them, ask them the 5 questions, fill in the responses - done.

You don't have to call anyone or stay on hold, they don't have to worry about more stuff being sent, the census people don't have to waste time/money sending stuff to the person... simple, easy solution.

Dicey

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Re: Completing Census 2020 by paper form in mail
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2020, 11:16:55 AM »
Per usual, @Frankies Girl nails it. Nothing else to say.

slackmax

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Re: Completing Census 2020 by paper form in mail
« Reply #5 on: April 02, 2020, 06:22:39 PM »
So if the person is communicating with you by phone... can't you just do it for them online?


Frankies Girl,  thanks. That's a great solution, but it isn't that simple, and  I don't want to bore you with all the details, lol.   But thanks!           

gooki

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Re: Completing Census 2020 by paper form in mail
« Reply #6 on: April 07, 2020, 01:19:32 AM »
Your census only has five questions?

LennStar

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Re: Completing Census 2020 by paper form in mail
« Reply #7 on: April 07, 2020, 01:31:04 AM »
If someone cannot access the internet to fill out the census, will the government automatically mail the person a census form, or does the person have to request it, by calling the 800 number?

The census mailings to date are unclear about this. They say the government 'may' mail a paper form to the respondent, if he cannot access the internet, and say that a person 'can' respond by mail.   

Yes, I know that I can call the 800 number and ask for the answer, but I really want to avoid that rabbit hole.       


Anyone know?   The person has gotten 3 mailings chiding him to go online, but still no paper form.       Just vagueness.

Thanks

Why does the census have the email of someone who has no internet? (or at all)

Dicey

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Re: Completing Census 2020 by paper form in mail
« Reply #8 on: April 07, 2020, 01:50:08 AM »
The person has gotten 3 mailings chiding him to go online, but still no paper form.       Just vagueness.
Whoops, I missed this the first time. It is highly unlikely that all three mailings came from the Census Bureau. A lot of states, cities, and community groups understand how much is at stake and are reaching out to remind people to be on the lookout for the envelope from the Census Bureau that contains the identifier, as this is the first time the census has been conducted primarily on line. As someone who is involved on a local level, I also would not characterize any communication I've seen as "chiding" in tone. It's really odd that you're being told that. Have you seen these mailings personally?

OtherJen

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Re: Completing Census 2020 by paper form in mail
« Reply #9 on: April 07, 2020, 07:44:37 AM »
If someone cannot access the internet to fill out the census, will the government automatically mail the person a census form, or does the person have to request it, by calling the 800 number?

The census mailings to date are unclear about this. They say the government 'may' mail a paper form to the respondent, if he cannot access the internet, and say that a person 'can' respond by mail.   

Yes, I know that I can call the 800 number and ask for the answer, but I really want to avoid that rabbit hole.       


Anyone know?   The person has gotten 3 mailings chiding him to go online, but still no paper form.       Just vagueness.

Thanks

Why does the census have the email of someone who has no internet? (or at all)

It doesn’t, and the quoted post doesn’t say that the requests were emailed. Census-related mail is sent via post and is addressed to the “occupant” at each residence.

LennStar

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Re: Completing Census 2020 by paper form in mail
« Reply #10 on: April 07, 2020, 10:22:58 AM »
If someone cannot access the internet to fill out the census, will the government automatically mail the person a census form, or does the person have to request it, by calling the 800 number?

The census mailings to date are unclear about this. They say the government 'may' mail a paper form to the respondent, if he cannot access the internet, and say that a person 'can' respond by mail.   

Yes, I know that I can call the 800 number and ask for the answer, but I really want to avoid that rabbit hole.       


Anyone know?   The person has gotten 3 mailings chiding him to go online, but still no paper form.       Just vagueness.

Thanks

Why does the census have the email of someone who has no internet? (or at all)

It doesn’t, and the quoted post doesn’t say that the requests were emailed. Census-related mail is sent via post and is addressed to the “occupant” at each residence.

So you get 3 post mailings and none contains the form?
I could understand that at the first time, to safe the paper, but second and third is just ineffective.

bacchi

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Re: Completing Census 2020 by paper form in mail
« Reply #11 on: April 07, 2020, 10:25:24 AM »
So you get 3 post mailings and none contains the form?
I could understand that at the first time, to safe the paper, but second and third is just ineffective.

Handling a paper form takes a lot more labor than a website. If the 3rd notice convinces the laggard to fill out the form online, it's a win.

LennStar

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Re: Completing Census 2020 by paper form in mail
« Reply #12 on: April 07, 2020, 10:36:23 AM »
So you get 3 post mailings and none contains the form?
I could understand that at the first time, to safe the paper, but second and third is just ineffective.

Handling a paper form takes a lot more labor than a website. If the 3rd notice convinces the laggard to fill out the form online, it's a win.
Handling that form should take about the same work as 2 mailings take. But it often is not, because mass mailings are automated since 20 years, while censuses will probably never. Automating a task that happens only once every couple years? Waste of tax money, the Republican will say.

bacchi

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Re: Completing Census 2020 by paper form in mail
« Reply #13 on: April 07, 2020, 01:01:42 PM »
So you get 3 post mailings and none contains the form?
I could understand that at the first time, to safe the paper, but second and third is just ineffective.

Handling a paper form takes a lot more labor than a website. If the 3rd notice convinces the laggard to fill out the form online, it's a win.
Handling that form should take about the same work as 2 mailings take. But it often is not, because mass mailings are automated since 20 years, while censuses will probably never. Automating a task that happens only once every couple years? Waste of tax money, the Republican will say.

Every 10 years but yeah. One of the parties has a problem with science. :-)

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/why-republicans-want-the-2020-census-to-fail-202575/

Frankies Girl

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Re: Completing Census 2020 by paper form in mail
« Reply #14 on: April 07, 2020, 01:24:04 PM »
Your census only has five questions?



Questions apparently are a total of 12 if you go through them on the Census site, but I considered it as a few questions with subsets containing a few yes/no/one word answers to the a main questions, so my interpretation was wrong (more than 5) if you count exactly the number of questions asked. My census still only took me all of 5 minutes and that included the whole typing in the identifying number to get started on the website.

This is the breakdown, based on the actual site:

1. How many people were living or staying in this house, apartment, or mobile home on April 1, 2020
a) Were there any additional people staying here on April 1, 2020, that you did not include in Question 1?
b) Is this house, apartment, or mobile home? Mortgage/rental?


2. What is your telephone number?

3. What is Person 1's name/sex/DOB/age/race.

4. What is Person 2/+'s name/sex/DOB/age/race.

a) Does this person usually live or stay somewhere else?
b) How is this person related to Person 1?

teen persuasion

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Re: Completing Census 2020 by paper form in mail
« Reply #15 on: April 08, 2020, 02:46:46 PM »
A local Rep on Twitter said paper forms are coming "soon", watch for them!

Dicey

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Re: Completing Census 2020 by paper form in mail
« Reply #16 on: April 09, 2020, 02:23:44 AM »
A local Rep on Twitter said paper forms are coming "soon", watch for them!
Unless the plan is revised due to CV-19, that is absolutely untrue.

teen persuasion

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Re: Completing Census 2020 by paper form in mail
« Reply #17 on: April 11, 2020, 08:47:47 AM »
A local Rep on Twitter said paper forms are coming "soon", watch for them!
Unless the plan is revised due to CV-19, that is absolutely untrue.

https://mobile.twitter.com/RepBrianHiggins/status/1247948070215733252   

I just went back thru my paperwork from a census workshop months ago - original plan was to send a reminder letter and paper questionnaire April 8-16.  That's after the invitation March 12-20, reminder letter March 16-24, and if you haven't responded yet: reminder postcard March 26 - April 3.

Dicey

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Re: Completing Census 2020 by paper form in mail
« Reply #18 on: April 11, 2020, 03:20:19 PM »
A local Rep on Twitter said paper forms are coming "soon", watch for them!
Unless the plan is revised due to CV-19, that is absolutely untrue.

https://mobile.twitter.com/RepBrianHiggins/status/1247948070215733252   

I just went back thru my paperwork from a census workshop months ago - original plan was to send a reminder letter and paper questionnaire April 8-16.  That's after the invitation March 12-20, reminder letter March 16-24, and if you haven't responded yet: reminder postcard March 26 - April 3.
I was told by a city official who attended state-level training that paper forms were only going to be sent by request. Maybe it's not the same everywhere. With this pandemic, who knows what changes will be made?