2020 Census Fieldwork Delayed by COVID-19
Updated December 22, 2020
2020 Census Fieldwork Delayed by COVID-19
Introduction
This In Focus discusses the various major components of
In a March 18, 2020, press release (CB20-RTQ.08), U.S.
the bureau’s 2020 census fieldwork, their original and
Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham announced that
adjusted schedules, and related issues.
the bureau was suspending all 2020 decennial census field
operations until April 1. This action, a response to the novel
The Original Operations Schedule and
coronavirus disease first observed in 2019 (COVID-19) and
Revisions
designated a pandemic by the World Health Organization
on March 11, 2020, came at a critical time for the census.
Field Office Operations
Although April 1 was the official Census Day, early data
Census Bureau managers and staff at 2020 census field
collection began in remote Toksook Bay, Alaska, on
offices conducted, the bureau stated, “administrative,
January 21. Other tightly timed field operations were
training, deployment, and support activities” for the “peak
underway or imminent, including the bureau’s personal
data collection” phase of the census. Part of the
outreach to hard-to-count areas and groups. Dr. Dillingham
preparations involved “selecting and hiring field staff.” The
stated on March 18 that if “additional adjustments” became
operations were to have begun on March 1, 2020, but were
necessary, the bureau would make them known “promptly.”
postponed until phased reopening occurred, from May 4 to
June 12. By October 1, the bureau had stopped accepting
A subsequent press release, dated March 28, 2020 (CB20-
new applications for 2020 census employment.
RTQ.14), gave notice that field operations would not
resume until April 15.
The Initial Response Phase
Invitations to answer the census were mailed to about 95%
An April 13, 2020, press release from Secretary of
of U.S. households from March 12 to March 20, 2020. By
Commerce Wilbur Ross and Dr. Dillingham (CB20-
August 12, the Census Bureau reported, 63.5% of
RTQ.16), with a new operations schedule, indicated the
households had answered; 50.8% had responded online.
bureau’s need to delay release of the 2020 state census
The bureau, before the pandemic, had strongly encouraged
counts for apportioning seats in the U.S. House of
online responses as the fastest, easiest, most accurate way
Representatives and the data for within-state redistricting
to complete the census, and continued citing these
past the respective December 31, 2020, and March 31,
advantages, plus no associated risk of contracting COVID-
2021, legal deadlines for these products (see Title 13, U.S.
19. In addition, the bureau accepted paper questionnaires by
Code, Section 141 (b) and (c)).
mail and answers by telephone. The initial phase of the
census, in which households were asked to respond without
A May 4, 2020, press release (CB20-CN.44) and May 7
further prompting by the bureau, was to continue from
revised schedule announced a “phased restart” of certain
March 12 to July 31. After schedule adjustments, this phase
2020 census field operations, to begin immediately in
concluded on October 15.
selected areas “in coordination with federal, state, and local
health officials.” The bureau noted that field and Area
Remote Alaska
Census Office (ACO) staff would receive training in safety
The operation that began in Toksook Bay on January 21,
measures to avoid contracting or transmitting COVID-19.
2020, was to end on August 31 and was expected to be
Staff also were to receive personal protective equipment
completed mostly on schedule, but, the bureau advised,
before operations restarted. A list of the first ACOs to
“some areas with year-round populations” were to be
reopen accompanied the release. The list was updated
enumerated when enumeration was “safe to do.”
weekly through June 9 as more offices were added.
Update Enumerate
Dr. Dillingham, in an August 3, 2020, press release (CB20-
During Update Enumerate, enumerators were to update the
RTQ.23), announced a revision of the earlier plan to delay
addresses of, and interview in person, about 2,000
releasing the apportionment numbers past December 31.
households in remote areas of northern Maine and southeast
The latest plan, the announcement stated, was to meet the
Alaska. The operation began on March 16, 2020, and was
deadline, “as required by law and directed by the Secretary
to end on April 30. It was suspended until June 14, then was
of Commerce.” The operations schedule was revised
to continue until July 29. The bureau, to protect both census
accordingly.
takers and respondents from COVID-19, directed that
enumerators conduct interviews outside homes, at least six
A press release dated October 13, 2020 (CB20-CN.119),
feet away from respondents.
stated that all 2020 census data collection operations would
end not later than October 15, and the deadline held.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
2020 Census Fieldw ork Delayed by COVID-19
Update Leave
shelters, and food vans that made scheduled stops.
Another operation, Update Leave, covered about 5 million
Originally set for March 30 to April 1, 2020, the delayed
households stateside and about 1.7 million in Puerto Rico,
operation was to occur from September 22 to September 24.
located where residents were unlikely to receive mail at
Count of People at Transitory Locations
their homes. Enumerators were to update the addresses of
From April 9 to May 4, 2020, census takers were to
these households for the bureau’s master address file and
enumerate people staying at campgrounds, recreational
drop off paper census forms, invitations, and instructions
vehicle parks, hotels, and marinas, if they did not usually
for those who chose to answer the census online, with
live elsewhere. The operation was rescheduled to begin on
telephone assistance if requested. Originally scheduled for
September 3 and end on September 28.
March 15 to April 17, 2020, the operation was suspended. It
restarted stateside in phases between May 4 and June 12,
Count of Homeless People Outdoors
and in Puerto Rico on May 22.
On April 1, 2020, enumerators were to count homeless
people living outdoors in locations where they were known
Mobile Questionnaire Assistance
to sleep, including under bridges and highway overpasses,
During Mobile Questionnaire Assistance, the bureau stated
in parks, at rest stops, and at all-night businesses. The
in a July 14, 2020, press release (CB20-CN.80), more than
operation was rescheduled for September 23 and September
3,000 bureau staff were to help the public answer the
24.
census online, using their own devices or a 2020 census
tablet, in areas determined to have the lowest response rates
The Data for Apportionment
and in weekly “coordination with local partners.” The
Under Title 13, U.S. Code, Section 141 (b), the 2020 state
operation had been scheduled for March 30 to July 31 and
census counts for House apportionment must be delivered
was reset to run from July 13 through September 18.
to the President no later than December 31, 2020. The
fieldwork and myriad other operations that support the
Nonresponse Fol ow-Up
census, resulting in the apportionment counts and
This major effort, in which enumerators across the nation
corresponding numbers of House seats allocated to the
visited about 56 million nonresponding households to
states, were timed to allow for their completion, including
collect their census data in person (while contacting others
final quality checks and data corrections, before the legal
by telephone), was considered essential for a complete,
deadline. This process was to occur from July 31 to
accurate census. Nonresponse follow-up (NRFU) originally
December 31, then was rescheduled to begin on October
was scheduled for May 13 to July 31, 2020. The start was
31, 2020, and end on April 30, 2021, four months past the
delayed until August 11 (except for a trial “soft launch” that
legal deadline. As of August 3, 2020, the bureau was to
began on July 16) and the end until October 31, but, as
release the apportionment data on time, but stated in an
announced on October 13, NRFU and all other data
October 13 press release (CB20-CN.119) that it was
collection operations ended on October 15. NRFU included
“working hard” to process and deliver these data “as close
nonresponding off-campus households around colleges and
to” December 31 as possible.
universities that originally were slated for early NRFU,
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) testified at a
from April 9 to July 31.
December 3, 2020, House Oversight and Reform
Group Quarters: Nursing Homes, Prisons, and
Committee hearing (GAO-21-262T) about the risks to 2020
Other Institutional Facilities
census data quality through late-date operational and
schedule changes caused by COVID-19 and related
Census takers, in cooperation with the facilities’
developments. Of particular concern, GAO noted, was the
administrators, were to enumerate these residents at the
compressed time frame for post-data collection operations
facilities. Online responses were another option. The in-
in order to meet statutory deadlines, resulting in some
person operation was to begin on April 2 and end on June 5,
telephone calls instead of personal visits and more use of
2020. The revised schedule was July 1 to September 3, and
proxy responses to obtain NRFU data; fewer NRFU
the bureau asked administrators to choose options for
reinterviews for quality control; and less time to review the
enumeration that would reduce direct personal contact.
apportionment counts and resolve anomalies, such as
duplicate responses and data mismatches.
Students living on campus were to be counted through their
colleges and universities as part of Group Quarters
The Data for Within-State Redistricting
enumeration; alternatively, they were encouraged to answer
Title 13, U.S. Code, Section 141 (c), requires that by March
the census online. Students who had left campus housing,
31, 2021, the tabulations of census data for use in redrawing
were staying elsewhere because of the COVID-19 situation,
state congressional and legislative districts be delivered to
and intended to return to school when the situation allowed
the states that have requested them. Under the adjusted
still were to report campus housing as their usual residence.
schedule announced on April 13, 2020, the data were to be
As Dr. Dillingham reported in July 29, 2020, testimony to
delivered by July 31, 2021, four months after the statutory
the House Oversight and Reform Committee, the Census
deadline, but now are to be ready on the original schedule.
Bureau asked colleges and universities to provide records
for off-campus students to improve their likelihood of
inclusion in the census.
Jennifer D. Williams, Specialist in American National
Service-Based Enumeration
Government
In this operation, enumerators were to work with service
IF11486
providers to count homeless people at soup kitchens,
https://crsreports.congress.gov
2020 Census Fieldw ork Delayed by COVID-19
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permissio n of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11486 · VERSION 6 · UPDATED