Poll of the Day > For the Census...

(+) Yeah! (+)

Will you get arrested if you are gone from home for over a month? They send you a letter to complete online. If you can't do that, they send in a letter that you can mail back. And if you don't do that one either, they come to your house to interview. Since it's illegal not to do the census, what happens if you take like a month vacation or something to go visit family in another state or whatever around the time the interviewer comes to visit? What happens?
---

LinkPizza posted...

Will you get arrested if you are gone from home for over a month?

No.

---

If they really wanted to be a dick, I think they can slap you with a fine. But you won't get arrested.

---

I'm sure it's like being served, you can't do it just by mail, unless you sign for the mail in question (possibly).

If you mail a service you also have to hand it in person. It's often a good idea to mail a copy as well (and required in some states for 30 day notices etc), so you have proof you served someone (or at least attempted to).

If they can't reach you, they can't expect you to magically know you are supposed to do something.

---

wolfy42 posted...

I'm sure it's like being served, you can't do it just by mail, unless you sign for the mail in question (possibly).

If you mail a service you also have to hand it in person. It's often a good idea to mail a copy as well (and required in some states for 30 day notices etc), so you have proof you served someone (or at least attempted to).

If they can't reach you, they can't expect you to magically know you are supposed to do something.

Well, they can send you the form by mail, but you usually won't get in trouble for not doing it on the internet or mailing it in. Though, it could be different if they send an interviewer to you house. And they can definitely fine you. And it's illegal to not comply with it. But I wasn't sure how it worked if you just weren't home for a while...
---

RCtheWSBC posted...

No.

Will they just come back later or something?

Keebs05 posted...

If they really wanted to be a dick, I think they can slap you with a fine. But you won't get arrested.

Yeah. It seems they can fine you for a bunch of stuff...
---

You can fill it out online by your address, code not needed.

---

Oh shot the census is coming up

---

You can get fined, but it looks like the provision for jail time was removed.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2010/03/can-you-get-in-trouble-for-not-filling-out-your-census-form.html

https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/verify/verify-yes-its-illegal-if-you-dont-respond-to-the-2020-census-here-are-the-penalties-you-can-face/65-6c98cafa-0a13-43c1-ba95-357bb3a4da51

magemaximus posted...

Oh shot the census is coming up

It's already here...I assume that not all of them have been sent out yet. But some already have their forms...

rjsilverthorn posted...

You can get fined, but it looks like the provision for jail time was removed.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2010/03/can-you-get-in-trouble-for-not-filling-out-your-census-form.html

https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/verify/verify-yes-its-illegal-if-you-dont-respond-to-the-2020-census-here-are-the-penalties-you-can-face/65-6c98cafa-0a13-43c1-ba95-357bb3a4da51

I think I saw the second link earlier before I made this topic. It mentioned the fines, but that was about it... That's why I remember the huge fine amounts. Tbh, I had almost put the letter with the junk mail since it said resident instead of a name...
---

I forgot to do it, so they sent another letter. I should do it, I guess...
---

LinkPizza posted...

Will you get arrested if you are gone from home for over a month?

probably

---

Received mine the other day.

---

I worked for the Census in 2010, they hire a lot of people as temp employees. It's actually pretty good money and work compared to most other temp jobs I've done...

If you don't respond to the initial surveys, they have a period around May called "Nonresponse Followup" or...something like that.... Where they have Census workers go to the addresses of those that didn't reply, and try to ask the resident to answer the questions.
If that doesn't work or they refuse, the worker notes it and it gets sent further up the chain. Not sure if a supervisor or other person reaches out to them next or what, but...basically if you don't respond they'll just keep trying to contact you in progressively more direct ways until you do respond.
After a certain point they probably do give up, but I don't know why anyone would be so obstinant. Just end up hurting your own state and community by having it be undercounted when it comes time to determine federal funding for stuff. Plus if your goal is to not be "harassed by the government," then you're accomplishing the exact opposite. The initial online / mail surveys are pretty damn unobtrusive; they don't WANT to send people to your house....that costs more money.