Census Takers to Begin Outreach in the Chiloquin and Klamath Falls Area

CHILOQUIN, Ore. - As soon as this week, census takers will begin going door to door in the Chiloquin and Klamath Falls area to follow up with households that have not yet responded to the 2020 Census. The current self-response rate for the Klamath Tribes is 34.6%.

The Census Bureau will need to visit the remaining reservation addresses to collect responses in person. Households can still respond now by completing and mailing back the paper questionnaire they received in the mail, by responding online at 2020census.gov, or by phone at 844-330-2020. Households can also respond on-line or by phone in one of 13 languages and find assistance in many more. Those that respond will not need to be visited to obtain their census response.

Households Can Expect Census takers will follow local and tribal public health guidelines when they visit your home. Face masks are mandated and census takers will be required to wear them. Census takers must complete a virtual COVID19 training on social distancing protocols and other health and safety guidance before beginning their work in the community. Census takers are hired from local communities and some are enrolled tribal members. 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. People are encouraged 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 to speak with a Census Bureau representative. About the 2020 Census The U.S. Constitution mandates a census of the population every 10 years. The goal of the 2020 Census is to count everyone who lives in the United States on 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 and informs how billions of dollars in federal funds will be allocated by state, local and federal lawmakers annually for the next 10 years.

For more information, visit 2020census.gov.

Source: Klamath Tribes