Census takers to start follow up with nonresponding households in Montana

Press release

The U.S. Census Bureau is scheduled to begin following up with households in Montana that have not yet responded to the 2020 Census.

The Billings area census office is scheduled to begin follow-up work Aug. 11. The work is scheduled to conclude no later than Oct. 31.

What households can expect

Households can still respond now by completing and mailing back the paper questionnaire they received, by responding online at http://2020census.gov, or by phone at 844-330-2020. Households can also respond online or by phone in one of 13 languages, listed at https://2020census.gov/en/languages.html, and find assistance in many more. People who respond will not need to be visited to obtain their census response.

The Census Bureau will provide face masks to census takers and requires that census takers wear a mask while conducting their work. They will follow CDC and local public health guidelines when they visit. Census takers must complete a virtual COVID-19 training on social distancing protocols and other health and safety guidance before beginning their work.

Census takers are hired from local communities.

All census takers speak English, and many are bilingual. If a census taker does not speak the householder’s language, the household may request a return visit from a census taker who does.

Census takers will also have materials on hand to help identify the household’s language.

If no one is home when the census taker visits, the census taker will leave a notice of their visit with information about how to respond online, by phone or by mail. The Census Bureau encourages Montanans to cooperate with census takers and ensure that everyone who was living in their household as of April 1, 2020, is counted.

How to identify census takers

Census takers can be easily identified by a valid government ID badge with their photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark and an expiration date on the badge. To confirm a census taker’s identity, the public may contact their regional census center in Dallas at 972-510-1800 to speak with a Census Bureau representative.

Why the 2020 Census is Important

The U.S. Constitution mandates a census of the population every 10 years. 

The 2020 Census counts everyone who lives in the United States as of April 1, 2020, Census Day. 

Census statistics are used to determine the number of seats each state holds in the U.S. House of Representatives. This year’s Census could give Montana back a second seat in the U.S. House of Representatives if every Montanan is counted.

Census statistics inform how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds will be allocated by state, local and federal lawmakers annually for the next 10 years.

About the 2020 Census

The Census Bureau strongly encourages the public to respond online at 2020census.gov .

Households can respond by phone in English or 12 other languages. 

Households can also respond by mail using the paper questionnaire mailed to non-responding addresses.

For more information, call 844-330-2020 or visit http://2020census.gov .

To see a revised timeline for the census, visit the 2020 Census operational adjustments page at https://2020census.gov/en/news-events/operational-adjustments-covid-19.html?utm_campaign=20200527msc20s1ccnwsrs&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery or https://bit.ly/3fOgIhB .