City: If You were Selected for 2016 U.S. Census Survey and Did Not Complete it, Expect Knock on Door

Ok, so your household was randomly selected to participate in the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2016 Census Test, but, well, you didn’t fill out the form.  Now what?

If you were selected — not all Pasadena households were included — and you did not fill out the form online or return by mail, you can expect a knock of the door sometime during the next six to eight weeks.

Technically, the forms were due by May 13, 2016, but you can still go online at https://survey.census.gov/ and follow the instructions to complete your test survey.

The U.S. Census Bureau considers participation mandatory.  If you were selected, your participation is appreciated to help ensure that the population count numbers and process for the 2020 Census are done correctly and efficiently.

Establishing an accurate count for the full U.S. Census done every 10 years is absolutely critical for determining how many representatives a state should have in the U.S. Congress.  And population counts are factored into the distribution of hundreds of billions of dollars in taxpayer money from more than 100 federal programs.

You want fair and accurate representation and the right share of your tax dollars coming back to Pasadena?  Fill out the Census forms.

Households throughout Los Angeles County, including areas of Pasadena, were selected to participate in this 2016 testing program, all of which is in preparation for the 2020 Census.  The other area picked was portions of Harris County, Texas.  Each site contains approximately 225,000 housing units.

Why Los Angeles County and Harris County?  The Census Bureau selected these two areas as 2016 Census Test sites in part to help test and validate new methods for non-response follow-up (contacting people who did not fill out the forms) for large, demographically diverse metropolitan areas with a significant level of language diversity, varying levels of Internet usage and high vacancy rates.

The Census Bureau is using these two sites to learn more about managing new systems and technology in multiple locations for the 2020 Census.

Want to know more?  Here’s a list of FAQs below the flyers that comes from the Census Bureau to explain what they are doing and why.  Want to know what actual questions are being asked?  Scroll down past the FAQs to see.