Some people hoping to fill out the 2020 Census using Apple’s Safari browser have been having a hard time this year.
An apparent bug in the system is resulting in some Safari users being sent to the beginning of the questionnaire and incapable of submitting their replies. Users have been reporting the issue for days, and it was still active as of Wednesday morning.
The Census Bureau says it is aware of the glitch and recommends anyone who encounters it use a different browser. Chrome users, for example, have not experienced any issues with the form.
“To protect the integrity of the 2020 Census, the Census Bureau is using industry leading artificial intelligence services to protect responses. We are continuously monitoring and refining these security measures in order to enable all legitimate responses while maintaining security,” the Census Bureau said in a March 20 statement.
Officials also reminded users who prefer not to use a different browser that responses can also be made via mail or over the phone by calling 844-330-2020. Field operations have been suspended because of the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, though the majority of door-to-door visits weren’t expected to begin until May.
The 2020 Census will help determine how many congressional seats each state gets and the distribution of $1.5 trillion in federal spending.
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