Central Missouri Newspapers Inc. is offering this article free to all readers because it includes important information regarding the Mid-Missouri area.
There are only a few more days left to complete U.S. Census forms.
Census takers are ending field data collection Sept. 30, a month earlier than originally planned in an effort to ensure the safety of staff and the public amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Self-response options will also close on that date.
Census takers are visiting households that have not yet responded to the online, phone or mail census forms distributed earlier this year.
Door-to-door visits began in mid-July in Boone and Callaway counties. Residents in Cole, Maries, Miller, Moniteau, Morgan and Osage counties began seeing census takers in neighborhoods in mid-August.
This is the first time residents can complete the nine-question Census forms at 2020Census.gov. The census can also be completed by phone at 844-330-2020 or by mail through Sept. 30.
Only people living in a residence as of April 1 are counted. Census workers can be identified by their official identification badges with their name and photo. Census workers also carry an official bag that displays the U.S. Census Bureau seal.
To confirm if a person works as a neighborhood canvasser, visit census.gov/staffsearch.
By law, the Census Bureau cannot share answers with anyone, not even another government agency. Census workers aren't allowed to ask for a Social Security number, bank account or credit card numbers. They are not allowed to solicit donations, promise gifts or ask residents to pay money to complete the census.
The Census Bureau will not contact a person by email or phone.
If you suspect someone may be taking advantage of using census questions to commit fraud, call the Census Bureau at 1-800-923-8282.
As of this week, Missouri's self-response rate for filling out census forms was 65.2 percent. In Cole County, the rate was 72.1 percent, 67.4 percent in Boone County, 66.2 percent in Callaway County, 50.4 percent in Maries County, 54.9 percent in Miller County, 65.4 percent in Moniteau County, 40.8 in Morgan County and 52.9 percent in Osage County.