# The Census keeps contacting me **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 6, 2020, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-keeps-contacting-me/919973 "2020-09-06T22:22:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2020, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-keeps-contacting-me/919973/1 "2020-09-06T22:22:26Z")
So, I’ve filled out the census form online. A few weeks later, I got someone at the door from the census, and I told them the information again. Another few weeks later (today), I got another questionnaire in the mail. I called the phone number on it and it’s just a guy reading from a script. So… what am I supposed to do here? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-keeps-contacting-me/919973/2 "2020-09-07T00:38:51Z")
Get yourself counted as many times as you can! Preferably if you’re of the Democratic demographic. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-keeps-contacting-me/919973/3 "2020-09-07T01:09:28Z")
There are other surveys aside from the census. Is it possible one of the calls is for one of the others? ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-keeps-contacting-me/919973/4 "2020-09-07T06:06:45Z")
I think that falls in line with Trump’s Republican voting strategy. Get them counted as many times as possible then each vote twice. 😲 ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-keeps-contacting-me/919973/5 "2020-09-07T15:04:41Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Get yourself counted as many times as you can! Preferably if you’re of the Democratic demographic. 🙂 I mean, the funny part is that we didn’t live here at the time, so I’ve actually answered the census three times already. Once at the address we did live at, and twice now for the one we didn’t live at, and I just got a fourth request. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > There are other surveys aside from the census. Is it possible one of the calls is for one of the others? It says “Census2020” on the paper. And the person who came to the door clearly identified herself as being with the census. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-keeps-contacting-me/919973/6 "2020-09-07T15:07:20Z")
When was the first contact, and were the questions the same that last time as they were the first time around? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-keeps-contacting-me/919973/7 "2020-09-07T15:12:44Z")
Earlier in the year the Census Bureau conducted the ACS(American Community Survey), which is entirely different from the Census itself and does not eliminate the need to fill out the actual Census survey. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-keeps-contacting-me/919973/8 "2020-09-07T15:16:38Z")
Yes, the form is the same. It directs you to a website where you can fill out the census. The form was mailed to us sometime in April. The person who came to our door was maybe a month ago? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-keeps-contacting-me/919973/9 "2020-09-07T15:22:45Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > Yes, the form is the same. It directs you to a website where you can fill out the census. > > The form was mailed to us sometime in April. The person who came to our door was maybe a month ago I encountered quite a few people who claimed that they already did the Census either online, via mail or in person and, after eliminating the ones that thought that receiving the half-sheet notice telling them to contact the Census Bureau counted as actually taking the Census(a disturbingly higher number than you might think), there were still enough of these claims to make you think the system is a bit broken in places. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-keeps-contacting-me/919973/10 "2020-09-07T15:26:26Z")
Yeah, I get that by far the most likely reason here is me being confused. But I’m pretty sure I’m not. I have filled it out online yet again, so maybe they’ll stop mailing them to me. The real life lesson is never move during the summer of a census year. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-keeps-contacting-me/919973/11 "2020-09-07T15:30:40Z")
I suspect that the antiquated computer system they use cannot both collect and collate at the same time, so if someone fills out and submits Census data after their name has been sent out to us Census workers the data just isn’t being updated effectively. ---
**Author:** ![ThisIsTheEnd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisistheend/32/4713_2.png) [@ThisIsTheEnd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisIsTheEnd)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-keeps-contacting-me/919973/12 "2020-09-07T16:30:49Z")
They should be done with you now for this one. Maybe take the \_3 off of your username for the next one. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-keeps-contacting-me/919973/13 "2020-09-07T16:32:52Z")
If you moved into the house/apartment after April, that could be the problem. Perhaps the previous residents never completed the census. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-keeps-contacting-me/919973/14 "2020-09-07T20:45:24Z")
There is a code for “no one lived here on April 1st”, which is what I have answered each time. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-keeps-contacting-me/919973/15 "2020-09-07T21:45:30Z")
A lot of it is the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing. Written response went to Office A, web-based response went to Office B, while a census person, ignorant of all this, out trying to get you to call/write/go online to Office C. I had a stats expert explain that the redundancy is needed for an accurate count, but it sure is annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-keeps-contacting-me/919973/16 "2020-09-09T03:19:36Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > So, I’ve filled out the census form online. > > A few weeks later, I got someone at the door from the census, and I told them the information again. > > Another few weeks later (today), I got another questionnaire in the mail. > > I called the phone number on it and it’s just a guy reading from a script. So… what am I supposed to do here? It’s tough to be sure what’s happening. After you filed online and then moved to a new home, the follow-up visits were probably connected to finding out about who lived in your current home on April 1, 2020. There is a software bug in the enumerator’s iPhones. The first time an enumerator visits an address that’s occupied by an “In Mover” they ask the In Mover if he knows anything about who was living in that domicile on April 1. If he doesn’t know then the enumerator is sent back again in about 3 days. The iPhone instructs the enumerator to knock on the door again, but also has a list of instructions that says not to contact the InMover (who has already said that they don’t know anything). So, if an enumerator numbly follows his instructions, without reading all the counter-commands, he could visit an In Mover THREE times, before being instructed to attempt to find a “proxy” (a neighbor, an apartment manager, or someone walking their dog past the house, who might know something about the April 1st residents). I don’t know if that explains any or all of your redundant contacts, but it’s a real, and common, thing that causes multiple visits. As for what to do, try and keep a sense of humor. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-keeps-contacting-me/919973/17 "2020-09-09T15:23:17Z")
To clarify: I filled the census out online _twice_ (well, now three times). Once for the old address and once (now twice) for the new. And when the enumerator spoke to me personally, I told her who was living in the house on April 1. No one was. I wasn’t unaware of who was living here. But anyway. I do realize that there are bugs and inefficiencies in the process.