photo by: Shutterstock

A 2020 census form is pictured in this undated photo.

The counting of all U.S. residents is set to begin.

Douglas County households will begin receiving notices for residents to participate in the 2020 Census on Thursday. Karrey Britt, a spokeswoman for the county, said the notices will explain how residents can respond to the census either online or by phone.

County households should receive their notices by March 20. Various reminders will be sent to households that haven’t responded throughout March and April. Census takers will begin visiting households that haven’t responded in May.

The census counts all people residing in the United States every 10 years. The results of the count is used by the federal government in a variety of ways, such as determining how much funding states and communities receive through federal programs. It is also used to redraw federal and state legislative districts.

Douglas County residents can find more information about the census on the county’s website, dgcoks.org/2020census.

Update: A March 19 community meeting on the census that was previously mentioned in this story has been canceled as part of the Lawrence Public Library’s response to the spread of coronavirus.