Officials say take the census online during the coronavirus emergency.

Bakersfield, CA — In light of the County of Kern declaring a local emergency yesterday in
response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kern Complete Count Committee (KCCC) is urging all
residents to fill out their census forms online, by phone or mail.

The KCCC urges the residents of Kern to continue to shelter in place and to maintain social
distancing to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Let’s not let the fear of the current health crisis prevent anyone from answering the Census. A
complete and accurate count is the most practical way to ensure our community receives its fair
share of resources and political representation. Census data is crucial to ensure our community
receives its fair share of resources, especially during emergencies as it helps inform funding for
federal disaster relief and public health personnel needs for communities.

Answering the Census in a timely manner online, by mail or by phone, can go a long way to
help prevent the spread of COVID-19, so that Census interviewers do not have to visit homes to
collect data.

From March 12-20, households will receive instructions in the mail for completing the short 2020
Census questionnaire. By law, your response is required, and your responses will be kept
confidential. If you do not respond online or via mail, a Census Bureau interviewer will be sent to
your home to collect answers in person in May.

If you need help completing your Census questionnaire, please call this toll free number
1-844-330-2020. For more information, residents can visit https://my2020census.gov/.

The KCCC remains committed to increasing participation among Kern’s hard-to-count
populations, which have been historically undercounted including African Americans, Latinos,
immigrants, children under five, people experiencing homelessness among others, even during
the current Covid-19 crisis. Please visit kerncounts.org, to learn more about our local outreach
efforts.
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