Since our census takers began hitting the streets earlier this month, I wanted to put myself in their shoes and see what it takes to do their job. Before becoming a census taker for the day, I completed a virtual training, and received a mobile device and my workload. I checked in with staff at the Charlotte Area Census Office (ACO) who would be directing my work, and I conducted door-to-door operations in my hometown of Rock Hill in York County, South Carolina. While the city and county have high response rates, both have some hard-to-count pockets. My mission: to get an accurate count from households that had not yet responded to the 2020 Census.

I have been visiting hard-to-count areas since I began my role as director. I have had the privilege to meet and work with community leaders, business owners, health care professionals, and educators. Census partners and supporters are vital to ensuring a complete count. As trusted voices in communities, they play a key role in raising awareness that the 2020 Census is easy, safe, and important.

Area census offices, like the one I visited in Charlotte, are crucial for any decennial census. They facilitate and manage the workload for field staff conducting the census. I also had the opportunity to meet with representatives and officials from South Carolina’s Complete Count Committee (CCC) at the United Way Association in Columbia, South Carolina. We discussed the importance of the 2020 Census and the many community outreach and assistance activities occurring across the state. This meeting included South Carolina’s Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, who plays an important leadership role as chair of South Carolina’s CCC.

The 2020 Census belongs to us all, and we are on the last stretch of data collection before we begin the tabulation process. If you know someone who has not yet responded, please encourage them to do so at 2020census.gov, by phone (1-844-330-2020), or by mail before September 30. And if a census taker knocks on your door, please take a few minutes to answer the questions personally, maintaining proper distancing. Your response to the 2020 Census will help shape your future, the future of your family and friends, and the future of our great nation!