Politics & Government

Who's That at Your Door? Could Be the Census

If you didn't fill out that form you got in the mail in February, you could get a visit from the city of Boston this summer.

By Sara Jacobi

If you didn't fill out a city census form by mail, expect to hear a knock on your door this summer.

The city announced this week it has started its annual door-to-door component of its annual project, which is used each year to verify voting lists. 

Find out what's happening in Back Baywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The annual project, called the Annual Listing, is required by law in Massachusetts. In February, the Boston Election Department mailed out over 300,000 listing forms to individual households in every neighborhood of the City of Boston. Residents could use mail, phone or the Internet to respond.  

This new door-to-door effort targets those residents who have not yet responded.

Find out what's happening in Back Baywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Listing officers will be beginning in Ward 12, in Roxbury and work their way through Dorchester to Ward 17, then moving on to other neighborhoods.

Failure to respond to the listing can result in a voter’s status being designated as “inactive”, which can result in delays the next time the voter goes to the polls, the city said in its announcement. 

How to Know if It's Legit
The city said the listing officers coming door-to-door will all be wearing photo ID badges and orange vests issued by the city. All officers will be working as part of a team, and Boston Police will be notified when teams are working in a given neighborhood. 

However, residents should be aware that listing officers will not:
  • Collect money
  • Sign residents up for services
  • Collect social security, bank account information or credit card numbers

 If you haven't yet completed your listing, you can call 617-635-3767 or use this online form. Contact the Election Department with questions at 617-635-4634. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here