The deadline to respond to the 2020 Census has been extended until further notice, possibly as late as Oct. 31 as litigation over the count deadline continues to work its way through the 9th U.S. Circuit Court.

The most important message for Santa Barbara County residents is to respond to the 2020 Census now. Community members are being asked to take action now, not to wait, to be counted so local county families and communities get their fair share of resources and representation for the next 10 years.

The public can respond to the 2020 Census online at www.my2020census.gov or by phone, 844-330-2020 (English) or 844-268-2020 (Spanish).

Those who have already received a paper questionnaire can complete and return it in the envelope provided. Web pages and guides are available in 59 non-English languages, including American Sign Language, as well as Braille and large print.

The Census Self-Response Tracker indicates the self-response rates in Santa Barbara County was 71.4 percent as of Sept. 26, which surpasses the 2010 figure of 68.5 percent.

Self-response rates for county cities include Santa Barbara at 72.3 percent, Santa Maria at 67.0 percent, Goleta at 76.3 percent, Buellton at 74.1 percent, Lompoc at 72.4 percent, Solvang at 74.8 percent, Carpinteria at 70.8 percent, and Guadalupe at 66.2 percent.

For information, visit my2020census.gov, SantaBarbaraCountyCensus.org, follow Santa Barbara County Census on Twitter and Facebook @CensusSBC, or e-mail to CensusSBC@countyofsb.org.

The Santa Barbara County Census 2020 Complete Count Committee has launched a local outreach campaign called We all Count. Todos Contamos to provide the public access to local resources and information about the census in English and Spanish. Visit www.SantaBarbaraCountyCensus.org.