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What happens if I don't fill out my census form? (2019)

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Re: What happens if I don't fill out my census form? (2019)

#11

Post by droithomme »

crooked-v wrote: post #9
droithomme wrote: post #4

I got randomly selected for the long one in 2010. There were several questions I was not able to answer but providing incorrect information is a crime and not answering is a crime. So I did nothing. They sent one or two threatening follow ups. Then an in-person enumerator showed up and ran me through the short-form questions only, which was fine.

> providing incorrect information is a crime and not answering is a crime. So I did nothing. The correct answer in this case is to say "I don't know". You can write in stuff on census forms and it's up to the local office to process those as special cases.

That's not something they say you can do.

In my case the correct answer was to do nothing, then cooperate with the enumerator on the short form questions, which as I said was fine.

Re: What happens if I don't fill out my census form? (2019)

#13

Post by burkaman »

droithomme wrote: post #4

I got randomly selected for the long one in 2010. There were several questions I was not able to answer but providing incorrect information is a crime and not answering is a crime. So I did nothing. They sent one or two threatening follow ups. Then an in-person enumerator showed up and ran me through the short-form questions only, which was fine.

You might be thinking of 2000, there was no long form in 2010. Could you not answer because you didn't know, or you didn't want to answer those questions?

Re: What happens if I don't fill out my census form? (2019)

#14

Post by dhosek »

ars wrote: post #12
rspoerri wrote: post #3

watch "The Census: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" on this topic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aheRpmurAo

Deleted: Made a mistake.

That's information which is 20 years out of date. Oliver is right, Trump is wrong.

Re: What happens if I don't fill out my census form? (2019)

#16

Post by thedirt0115 »

MaysonL wrote: post #6

They missed me in 1990 and 2000, when I was unconventionally housed (living in the office).

Hopefully you are in a better situation now. For anyone who is currently homeless, but wants to be counted, the census bureau has the following plans:

March 30, 2020: Counting people who are in shelters.

March 31, 2020: Counting people at soup kitchens and mobile food vans.

April 1, 2020: Counting people in non-sheltered, outdoor locations, such as tent encampments and on the streets.

See this for more information: https://2020census.gov/en/what-is-2020-census/focus/people-e...

Re: What happens if I don't fill out my census form? (2019)

#18

Post by crooked-v »

downerending wrote: post #10
crooked-v wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The pay is actually pretty decent, and is cost-of-living adjusted. In Portland where I live, for example, it's $18/hour, which is way better than some temp jobs I've had.

Interesting. Back when I did it, it was piecework. Maybe one to three dollars per household, depending on whether it was a short or long form, and whether you managed to get someone to fill it out. That was around minimum wage, though if you hustled (or pencil-whipped things), you could probably make more. Also, I think I heard that these days you have to produce your draft registration number in order to apply, whic…

> you have to produce your draft registration number in order to apply

Not true. What you actually have to do is sign a form declaring that you are or aren't registered with Selective Service, and if not a brief reason why, which is the same information-gathering requirement for most or all federal jobs.

You can actually see the full set of paperwork with PDF forms here: https://www.census.gov/about/census-careers/new_emp.html The main one is the Declaration for Federal Employment, which is the generic form that everybody who ever wants to work for the government in any capacity has to fill out.

Re: What happens if I don't fill out my census form? (2019)

#19

Post by lonelappde »

ars wrote: post #12
rspoerri wrote: post #3

watch "The Census: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" on this topic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aheRpmurAo

Deleted: Made a mistake.

Your link does not support your claim, and this link gives more detail not supporting your claim.

https://www.census.gov/acs/www/about/why-we-ask-each-questio...

Re: What happens if I don't fill out my census form? (2019)

#20

Post by TAForObvReasons »

gruez wrote: post #17
dhosek wrote: post #15

If you live in a Republican district/state you should definitely refuse to fill out the census.

Why?

Census count influences the number of districts and representatives. The larger manifestation of disproportionate representation is the Senate, but that’s not influenced by census counts
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