Alaska residents urged to complete census online, by phone

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)–An Alaska official trying to promote participation in the national census has urged residents to file their forms online and by phone as the state falls behind the national response average.

The push for remote filing comes as efforts by the U.S. Census Bureau to collect residency data have been been hampered by the cornoavirus pandemic, Alaska Public Media reported Monday.

The outbreak prompted the agency to close field offices and delay door-to-door interviews.

The national response rate stands at nearly 43%, but less than 27% of Alaska households have completed the fo...