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Date: 8/18/2020
HILLTOWNS – If you are one of the people who has procrastinated filling out the Census 2020 form online, by telephone, or by mail, be aware that you may soon be visited by a Census taker.
The U.S. Census Bureau announced that they would begin the door-to-door count in Massachusetts on July 30 in Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, Hampden, Worcester, Norfolk, and Middlesex Counties.
“There is a real concern that Western Mass will be shortchanged by the federal government if everyone isn’t counted,” Secretary of State William Galvin, the Census 2020 liaison, said in the announcement.
Census data, which is collected every 10 years, informs where over $675 billion in federal funding is spent each year in states and communities, impacting programs that serve all ages from preschool children to seniors; as well as political representation.
“As we learned in civics class the representatives in congress are decided by the population of each state. If we fail to send in the info every 10 years we (Massachusetts) can lose a representative or two in congress. If Massachusetts loses a representative more than likely it will come from our end of the state. It will also lower money for schools, and other programs available to us,” said Chester Town Clerk Rosemary Dalesandro in one of her Facebook posts encouraging residents to fill out the census.
An interactive map from the UMass Donahue Institute of the Census 2020 Self-Response Rates for Massachusetts, which is linked on the Secretary’s website at www.sec.state.ma.us/census2020 shows a daily percentage of census returns in the state.
Local returns are alarmingly low for some of the Hilltowns. As of Aug. 12, Russell’s returns were at 45 percent; Blandford, 59.4 percent; Huntington, 56.7 percent; Chester, 58.3 percent; Tolland, 35.3 percent, and Granville, 66 percent. The town of Montgomery’s self count at 78.9 percent was the only one to exceed some of its larger neighbors.
The goal of the census is a 100 percent count by Sept. 30, when the count wraps up.
Also on Aug. 12, census workers were visiting residents in Russell and Huntington. Census workers who visit homes will be wearing official U.S. Census Bureau identification, so that they can be identified. Workers will also be wearing masks, to protect the residents with whom they interact.
Filling out the census at the door takes approximately 10 minutes. If the worker is sent away with the promise that the census will be filled out online or on the phone, they will promise to return if it isn’t.
Residents can avoid the need for a visit from the U.S. Census Bureau by returning their census online at www.my2020census.gov or over the phone at 1-844-330-2020.