Census takers begin making house calls in Maine

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The U.S. Census Bureau is following up with households in Maine that have not yet responded to the 2020 Census.

Workers begin in-person visits on Thursday to households have not yet responded. The first visits will be focused on six locations — West Virginia, Idaho, Maine, Kansas City, New Orleans and the Oklahoma City area.

The current self-response rate in Maine is 53.6%. Nationwide, about 56 million households that have not yet responded to the 2020 questionnaire.

Because of the virus, census workers wear cloth face masks and come equipped with hand sanitizer, gloves, laptops and cellphones. They will ask questions from outside, and aren’t allowed in homes.