The next step for the Daviess County Complete Count Committee will begin in mid-August, as census takers go door-to-door to visit households that haven’t completed their questionnaires.
Daviess County continues to top the list of highest census response rates from the most populous counties in Kentucky. Daviess County has a current response rate of 74.9%, which is higher than Jefferson (68.6%), Fayette (67.8%) and Warren (64%) counties.
Still, the DCCCC is striving for even more responses before the Oct. 31 deadline, which was extended this year due to COVID-19. As the census response rate determines the amount of federal funding a community receives for the next 10 years, local officials are striving for an 80% response rate, if not higher.
The majority of census offices across the country will begin follow-up work on Aug. 11. Census takers will wear masks and follow local public health guidelines when they visit homes. Census takers will also complete a virtual COVID-19 training on social distancing and other health and safety protocols before beginning their work in neighborhoods.
Also in August, the Census Bureau will begin its Mobile Questionnaire Assistance program, where trained census employees set up and run sites with all the information and electronic equipment required to help people complete their census surveys.
“These events will also be conducted in accordance with the most up-to-date public health and social distancing expectations, and they are designed to be short-turnaround initiatives in areas that need a boost in response rates,” said Molly McCarroll, partnership specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau.
Exact locations for the program will depend on response rates once the operation gets underway. At this point, McCarroll said she couldn’t say how many — or whether any at all — would be planned for Daviess County. However, the Census Bureau has begun training staff in the local area, she said.
“We have several tracts that are lagging behind Census projections, so the possibility is there,” she said.
To facilitate planning for these events, McCarroll said she needs organizations, locations or events that would be willing to host one. Examples of potential locations or events include but are not limited to back-to-school events, high-traffic government offices — such as the DMV, COVID testing sites, food pantries or meal distribution locations and church picnics.
If no one is home when the census taker visits, they will leave a notice of their visit with information about how to respond online, by phone or by mail.
