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Democratic Commissioners Seek FCC Help With Census Amid COVID-19

Wednesday was Census Day, FCC Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks reminded. Rosenworcel tweeted a phone number for those lacking broadband. Many libraries that had planned to provide access during the first largely online census (see 2001120001) closed due to…

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the pandemic. The Census Bureau said Friday it's temporarily suspending in-person interviews. “Americans can fill out the census online until August 14 -- but only if they have access to the internet," Starks told us in a statement. "Anything we do now to get Americans connected on an emergency basis as part of the COVID-19 response will also help increase online census participation. It’s another good reason why we need to get a connectivity stimulus.” While a third of households responded to the census, "we have a long way to go, made more difficult by the coronavirus,” emailed Rosenworcel. “The Census Bureau’s field operations are on hold for the moment, but once we get through the worst of this crisis, they will need to direct those resources to where responses are lagging and internet access is scarce. So, the FCC should do everything within its power to assist the Census Bureau.”