SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, July 1, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Response deadlines to the 2020 Census have been extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Prior to the outbreak, all self-responses were due by July, but in order to provide more opportunities to respond in these unprecedented times the deadline has been extended to Oct. 31,” said a news release from the Utah Department of Workforce Services.
Utah’s current response rate is at 66.1%, nearly matching the state’s 2010 rate of 68.6%. However, many areas continue to have “concerningly low responses, particularly in rural counties and multicultural communities,” the news release said. See this interactive map for a breakdown of city and county response rates.
“The critical importance of an accurate count has been highlighted by COVID-19 and Utah’s earthquake as public safety uses census data to guide decisions about service areas, fire stations and hospitals,” the news release said. “The outcome of the census can also determine political representation down to the local level, including school boards and city councils. Infrastructure decisions like road repairs and public transit development rely on this information. The census impacts every part of life in Utah, so it’s important for everyone to be counted and represented.”
The census can be completed online at census2020.utah.gov or over the phone at 1-844-330-2020. Both options are available in many languages, including Spanish.
