ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico officials say the suspension of field operations by the U.S. Census Bureau due to the coronavirus outbreak has left some residents in the state without the ability to easily participate in the national head count.
The chair of New Mexico's Complete Count Commission says this has resulted in artificially lower-than-average response rates and poses a burden for the state to overcome. As of mid-April, 37% of New Mexico households had responded to the census, compared to a national average of 48%.
Census workers have been unable to hand-deliver forms to households that don’t have standard addresses or use P.O. boxes. This represents nearly 18% of New Mexico households.