I'm not much in the mood. They do say it's required by law. I guess I'll just have to think about it.

Ken, please elaborate. I've never heard of that. And required by law? I'd like to know more. Besides in my dictionary "request" does not mean "mandatory".

Takes about two minutes. Being a half-assed genealogist, I have developed an abiding love for census records.

Tell me more Bill, I still don't understand what this is + how as you say involves geneology.

My older brother is a three-quarter-assed genealogist. I've knocked-out my taxes today, so therefore I am going to participate in the census, but I'm disappointed now that it takes only two minutes.

My plan is to mention that I know both of you, so I hope that doesn't get me put on some black list.

Done. I'm officially in the system. (I'm saying it took five minutes.)

Norman, we didn't answer your questions. Go to my2020census.gov Some of us received a Census ID. You apparently didn't. Go to the web page anyway and they will give you a link to go to. Follow the instructions. I believe you will be able to participate.

By completing the census survey, you can avoid a Census Bureau interviewer coming to your home.

On a side note, my brother-in-law has been a Census Bureau interviewer for many years. He had some great stories to tell.

They are sending a packet to get census information from your household instead of sending census takers door to door like they used to. The country does a census every decade to see how much the populations have changed. It is not something new to get private information. They have been taking census for a couple hundred years at least.

Randy, you can join a number of genealogy forums that give you access to the full decennial census records going back to 1790 -- with some ommissions owing to fires and the God-damned British burning our records in the War of 1812.
You can search these records, find your ancestors and see who was living in the household the very day the enumerator visited -- where they were born, what they did for a living, etc, all in the handwriting of the census taker. It is a moment frozen in time-- and therefore very precious.

Another good source; the Mormons. Tremendous records. We (retired men's group) have visited their Family Center in McKinney twice in the past few years. They are very open to assisting you in extending your family tree, whether you are a back-sliding Methodist or not. The cost is "Free". https://www.familysearch.org/en/ The main thing I liked about their database is that they now are trying to capture photos, stories, etc., along with the names and dates. Wouldn't it be cool to read in your great-great-great-great grandfather's own words what he faced coming to this country, or crossing the continent with his family.

Good luck and keep prospecting.

Everyone should be getting a census request and ID number based on their address soon. I received a second one this week addressed to "Current Resident".

Do it online. 2 minutes. DONE!
Yes it is required by law. Always has been.
my2020census.gov

Hi Bill/Oregon
Could you please post a link to one of the genealogy forums that give you access to the census records. I want to see some old stuff.
Thanks
Michael

Michael, I get access to census data from this portal, but use my library card to do it. Check to see if your local library offers similar access with a library card.
Otherwise, Google U.S. Census data from a decade you are interested in .

https://www.ancestryheritagequ.../error/HqaAuthPrompt

Thank you