The 2020 Census is underway!

Most households across the country received an invitation to respond to in the mail and census takers are dropping off invitations and paper questionnaires at many homes in our community, reports Carol Hector-Harris, Media Specialist for the U.S. Census Bureau in the Philadelphia Region.

This occurs more often in communities like Ottawa County because not everyone receives mail at their home. Right now, the Census Bureau has restarted dropping off questionnaires in the majority of rural areas, who do not receive mail at home.

If you have not recently received a questionnaire, expect to receive one soon. You can respond by completing and mailing back the paper questionnaire or you can use the Census ID from the invitation to respond online at 2020census.gov or by calling 1-844-330-2020.

So far, 65.9% of Ohio households, 46.5% of Ottawa County households, and 54.3% of Port Clinton households have responded but we need to count everyone. Your prompt reply is important to our community. Census statistics help lawmakers decide how to fund important public programs, including several that are important to yur area like Rural Rental Assistance Payments, Rural Education, Rural Business Enterprise Grants, and aid for farms, hospitals and roads.

When you receive your 2020 Census invitation, please respond as soon as you can to help shape your future and the future of our community, said Hector-Harris.