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Census Workers Knocking Doors In Escambia County Before The 2020 Count
September 15, 2019
The census is not until 2020, but the U.S. Census Bureau may be knocking on your door in the North Escambia area during the next few weeks.
The Census Bureau employees known as “listers” carry laptops and black messenger bags, and there are about 40,000 of them nationwide. They are visiting areas through October in an effort to verify over 50 million addresses, or about one-third of all home addresses in the United States. They will be out mostly in the evenings and on the weekends. There is a map at the bottom of this page, or you can zoom to your address here to see if your address will be visited.
Address canvassing improves and refines the Census Bureau’s address list of households nationwide, which is necessary to deliver invitations to respond to the census. The address list plays a vital role in ensuring a complete and accurate count of everyone living in the United States, according to the Census Bureau.
“The Census Bureau is dedicated to ensuring that we are on track, and ready to accomplish the mission of the 2020 Census,” said Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham. “We have made many improvements and innovations over the past decade, including better technologies for canvassing neighborhoods and developing complete and updated address listings and maps.”
The Census Bureau created new software called the Block Assessment, Research and Classification Application (BARCA). It compares satellite images of the United States over time, allowing Census Bureau employees to spot new housing developments, changes in existing homes and other housing units that did not previously exist. Reviewers also use BARCA to compare the number of housing units in current imagery with the number of addresses on file for each block.
“We were able to verify 65% of addresses using satellite imagery — a massive accomplishment for us,” said Census Bureau Geography Division Chief Deirdre Bishop. “In 2010 we had to hire 150,000 people to verify 100% of the addresses in the field, this decade we will only have to hire about 40,000 employees around the nation to verify the remaining 35% of addresses.”
The listers have started walking through neighborhoods across the country checking addresses not verified using BARCA software. In-field address canvassing will continue through mid-October. They will ask just a few questions to verify the address and any additional living quarters on the property for inclusion in the census.
Employees will introduce themselves as a Census Bureau employee, show their official government ID badge, and explain the purpose of the visit.
The 2020 Census officially starts counting people in January 2020 in remote Toksook Bay, Alaska. Following the count of people in remote Alaska, most households in the country will start receiving invitations to respond online, by phone or by mail in March 2020.
This operation is one of several activities the Census Bureau conducts for an accurate and complete count. The Census Bureau also partners with the U.S. Postal Service and tribal, state and local officials to update the address list.
The U.S. Constitution mandates that a census of the population be conducted once every 10 years. Census data is used to determine the number of seats each state holds in Congress and how more than $675 billion in federal funds are distributed back to states and local communities every year for services and infrastructure, including health care, jobs, schools, roads and businesses.
Comments
21 Responses to “Census Workers Knocking Doors In Escambia County Before The 2020 Count”
Census Lister has lost their mind if they think they have the “RIGHT” to be on MY Property. I have nothing against collecting data for the census and I believe it is important but don’t you dare tell me you care RIGHT to be on my property. You may want to read the “Bill of Rights”
i’m boycotting the 2020 census because of a certain someone in the white house
@Sedition
It IS illegal and punishable to skip out on the census. The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 increased the fine for any criminal misdemeanor – which is what refusing to answer census questions is – to as much as $5,000 (whereas it was $100) effectively raising the penalty fiftyfold for refusing to answer a census question.
@Rafael Conspiracy theory much? Smh. Every president has census information at his finger tips. Having access to information doesn’t inherently make the person evil or automatically suggest the person is even using the information on an intermittent or regular basis.
I can only hope our government is using all available information available to apprehend criminals and either send them to jail or deport them. Let’s not forget illegal immigrants are CRIMINALS in the eye of the law.
@Spyvsspy—You may want to look up the word “censure”. I think you really meant to say census! Quite a difference in meaning between those two words.
@Census Lister
I have read the comments from top to bottom and no entry except yours mentioned physical altercation.
@Rita Jenne-Ryan
As far as what questions I must answer…I answer only the questions that have a valid reason for being asked for the purpose of proper representation. How many toilets I have in my house has no bearing on that purpose.
I have refused to answer unrelated questions in the past, and except for receiving a phone call and a visit, to which I refused to answer the inappropriate questions and called the sheriff’s office on the visitor who was TOLD not to come, I have received no fines.
There are laws that we, as citizens must follow. There are also laws that government must follow even though they constantly surpass and usurp authority over those laws. Government must be kept in check just as citizens must be kept in check.
@James,
To think that our Government wouldn’t use the amassed data to verify identification would be absurd. Yes, our president has the data at his fingertips to extract info from a database. They’ve used satellite imagery (data) to assist these ground workers to explore possible hidden dwellings where people may be living. They ARE checking RVs on private property and large buildings on private property. Hence why these ground workers are invading the back yards. Thoughts ?
Last week someone was knocking on the door. Went to the answer and no one was there but a vehicle parked in my driveway with no sign or ID. Walked out to investigate found a census working knocking on my BACK door! Not a good idea. They need better training. We need a number to call to verify they are actually who they say they are.
I swear that I am so glad i dont live amongst a bunch of idiots anymore.. are yall really that dumb ? …..wow !!
The ignorance in many of these comments is astounding, and yet not surprising. For instance, thinking Republicans and Trump somehow secretly are using the address verification to assist ICE. What is the reasoning Obama used the same address verification during the 2010 census? Let me guess, your answer is “duh, blah blah, hate Trump.”
They have been to our house twice here in Cottage Hill
As a Lister, my job is to verify your address so the official census can be mailed next year. I will ask no personal questions, including names or the number of occupants in your residence. I will not attempt to or accept any invitation to enter your residence. And you will not be successful in pressing charges for trespassing, as we have the right to be there. Any battery committed against us is a Federal offense, so unless you like the idea of giving up your liberties, that would not be wise, either. Discussion of politics, religion, and anything not directly related to the census is not to happen.
You are required, By Law, to answer Census questions. If you refuse you can be fined.
WOW! I read all of the comments and I say,RIGHT ON!
They will be given thirty seconds to vacate my property or criminal trespass charges will be brought against them.
This is NOT a census year, I will NOT cooperate with anyone claiming to be with the census in an off year and they have no business on my property in an off census year.
No matter what kind of sticker they may have on their cars or any political party, or a total stranger, I do not disclose any information about my family to anyone. The Official Census by mail only and I’m afraid of that to. If a socialist is elected it may be used against me and family.
I work overnight and I don’t answer my door after 10 am
In this day and time…..really?!! They are going door to door?? Who will be posing as Census Workers and who will actually be a Census Worker? Not opening door for strangers, and I don’t care who your voting for!!!
I live alone and I do not open my door to strangers.
Anyone with a trump sticker won’t get an open door from me. I’m sure this is the RepubliCons trying to find ways of getting people arrested from ICE. This is trickery and I for one will only do a censure next year when it arrives via mail.
They came by and the guy had a huge bumper sticker and window sticker supporting Trump for 2020 on it. Now to some, this is acceptable perhaps. But to others, it could look like our census bureau folks subconsciously are advocating for Trump 2020s re-election. If they drive personal cars on the public’s money, no candidate should be featured on the vehicle as to not influence. Food for thought?