Amid a pandemic that has slowed efforts to count Americans, more than a third of Kansas households haven't yet responded to the U.S. Census. The Kansas News Service reports that in some counties, less than half of the population has filled out the forms that help steer billions in federal dollars and resources to the state each year. As a whole, Kansas' 65% rate so far is slightly ahead of the national response rate.
This year marks the first time people can fill out the Census online, however some families don't have computers or smartphones. Others haven't taken the U.S. Census before, and don't know how the count works. There are also harder-to-count groups; including very young children, military families, and college students. The Census Bureau wants college students to fill out their forms with the address they would have occupied on April 1, had the pandemic not shut down their schools.
In August, census workers begin to visit homes that haven't replied. The U.S. Census is mandated by Article 1, Section 2 of the United States Constitution.
