Thursday is your last day to respond to the 2020 U.S. Census. The new deadline comes after the Supreme Court agreed with the Trump Administration's decision to halt the count early.
"We were surprised," said Daina Crofts-Pelayo of California Census 2020. "We thought we had until the end of the month."
CLICK HERE to fill out your census ahead of tonight's deadline.
The new deadline is midnight Hawaiian Time on Thursday, October 15, by 3 a.m. PST.
"We're trying to do what we can to motivate people to take the census before midnight," said Crofts-Pelayo. "We've invested the most money we ever have for a census and the most of any state."
The reason the census is so crucial is that it will help decide where millions of dollars of federal funds go over the next decade.
"San Diego has done a really good job to complete the census," said Crofts-Pelayo. "It will really make a difference when it comes to resources and political representation coming to your community.
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Crofts-Pelayo says California has a higher response rate than the national average and San Diego specifically has been doing better than most of the state. Especially in communities that have not responded well to past counts.
"These communities, especially those that have been historically disenfranchised, they've stepped up," said Crofts-Pelayo.
However, in some parts of the county, including Del Mar and La Jolla, have not responded at similar rates to previous census years.
"Is it almost a complete count? Yes," said Crofts-Pelayo. "But for California the most important is self responding, because it is the most accurate data."
If you didn't report by going online, calling, or mailing in your response, census workers had to figure out another way to try and count you.
"(That could be) asking your neighbor or your mail carrier or even looking on the sidewalk to see how many cars are parked in the driveway," said Crofts-Pelayo.
To make sure you are counted, go online and fill out the survey before 3 a.m. Thursday. Crofts-Pelayo says you still could mail in your response, but it has to be postmarked on the 15.
