PORTLAND, Ore — Editor's note: The video above is from March 20, 2020.
A lot of us are spending more time at home than ever before.
If you're looking to fill five or 10 minutes with a productive activity, you can fill out the once-in-a-decade census in the safety of your own home while practicing social distancing.
It's vital that every person living in the United States is counted, as data from the census guides how hundreds of billions of dollars are spent every year for a number of federal programs, infrastructure projects, emergency response, education, health care services and more. Data from this census will determine redistricting boundaries and whether Oregon will gain another member of Congress.
Not only will you feel accomplished, but it may also give you a sense of patriotism; everyone living in America is required to respond to the census under the U.S. Constitution.
At this point, all U.S. households have received invitations prompting them to fill out the questionnaire.
It's never been easier to fill out: if you have internet access, you can respond to the questionnaire online. If you don't have access to the internet, you can respond over the phone or by mail. You are supposed to count everyone living in your home as of April 1, aka Census Day.
"We are living in unprecedented times, but the 2020 Census remains constant in our democracy," U.S. Census Bureau Director Dr. Steven Dillingham said in a press release. "Together, we will meet our Constitutional duty and count all persons in all communities across our vast and diverse nation."
More than half the households in the country have responded to the 2020 Census. About 54% of households in Oregon have responded, according to Census Bureau data. That equates to about 1,100,000 households and is higher than the national self-response rate. Washington County has the highest response rate in the state, with a total of 63% of households responding so far.
The COVID-19 outbreak forced the U.S. Census Bureau to suspend all field operations last month. It is now taking steps to reactivate field offices starting June 1 to prepare for door-knocking and other field operations to start back up "as quickly as possible following June 1."
Field operations include counting people who are experiencing homelessness, live in rural, remote areas or on Native American Reservations.
The bureau says it changed tactics to protect the health and safety of the American public and its employees and follow governmental guidance while still ensuring a complete and accurate count across the nation.
It says anything workers do in-person, such as interacting with people in the community, enumeration, office work and any processing, will follow up-to-date guidance. That includes wearing personal protective equipment and practicing social distancing once operations resume.
Thrown off course, the bureau is asking Congress for four extra months to deliver data used to reapportion the U.S. House of Representatives and political districts.
That extension would give the bureau until April 30, 2021 to deliver final apportionment counts to the President and until July 31, 2021 to send population data to state legislatures that inform how they draw congressional district maps.
The bureau plans to extend the deadline for the nation's headcount from August 15 to October 31.