The eCensus – completing your Census form online
For the 2011 Census, the ABS is promoting and recommending the eCensus – the option for all households to complete a Census form on the Internet. eCensus was offered in 2006 but not heavily promoted. We look at how this works and the benefits of doing it this way, and a little of the technology which sits behind it.
Please note that this is not the 2011 Australian eCensus website. To fill in your Census form online you will need an eCensus envelope delivered by your Census Collector, and then go to www.census.gov.au. This blog contains information and a discussion about the eCensus only. If you’d like to read more about what the eCensus is, read on. To complete your eCensus form you will need to go to the Census website. .id is not directly affiliated with the Census and is not able to offer advice on filling out your form.
In 2006, the ABS trialled an electronic version of the Census available on the Internet, known as the eCensus. It wasn’t widely advertised, but all households were given an eCensus envelope with a code to enable them to complete their form online. A total of 10% of Australian households filled in their Census online, and the success of the trial has led ABS to expand the option for 2011.
For this Census, eCensus is the preferred method of filling in your Census form. Census Collectors are required to offer the eCensus at the doorstep first, and if a householder agrees to do the eCensus, they won’t receive a paper household form at all. Just a little eCensus envelope with a code in it, as well as their Census Guide flyer. This code needs to be combined with the Census Form Number provided by the collector which will give each household a unique online identifier to log in to the eCensus.
The eCensus opened to the public on July 28th, and you can fill in your Census form from when you have it delivered. As it is meant to be filled in on Census day itself, one of the useful features is that you can log in earlier, and complete the form, save a complete or partially completed form and return to it, so you could fill in all your details, and just log in on Census night or the day after to amend anything that has changed and sign it off.
I completed the eCensus in 2006, and it was a breeze to use. There are some very clear advantages to using it.
For the householder:
- It steps you through the form, skipping questions that don’t apply to that person (eg. employment/income questions for under 15s).
- There are options for screen reader software for the visually impaired.
- You won’t need to arrange a time for the collector to return to collect your form.
- If you are in a large household, you can fit up to 10 people on the eCensus, compared to just 6 on the household form – so there is no need to ask for additional forms.
- Privacy – the collector doesn’t see any of your details, and if you want to keep your details private from others in the household (eg. house sharing arrangements), you can request extra eCensus envelopes and enter your details individually – it all gets combined back together as a household in automated processing.
For the Census collector:
- The collector receives a message (usually by SMS) when a form is returned by eCensus, and doesn’t have to return to that dwelling.
- There are less paper forms to collect, so less weight to carry around in that satchel.
- It’s much more secure, with less possibility of forms being lost.
For the ABS and data users:
- The eCensus will tell you if you’ve missed a question and prompt you to go back and fill it in – except for the Religion question which is optional. This should lead to better data quality, with less “Not Stated” responses.
- The forms don’t need to be scanned in so scanning errors are eliminated.
- Data processing should also be faster as the scanning step is removed.
IBM are managing the eCensus and have designed the system to handle half the Australian population (that’s more than 4 million households) logging in simultaneously. Because Census is conducted on a single night, the system must be able to handle an extremely high peak usage. It is being opened over the whole delivery and collection period to spread the load, but the peak load will be on August 9th.
The system uses the strongest publicly available encryption technology to protect individuals’ confidential data (128 bit SSL), but of course users need to keep their eCensus code secure (they are delivered in little perforated envelopes like your bank PIN). If you are comfortable doing your banking online, you should be comfortable using the eCensus.
Even if you’re not going to be at home on Census night, you can fill in your eCensus from your hotel or other non-private dwelling. People staying in these establishments will get the green eCensus envelope, while households get the orange one.
Here is some info on the eCensus from the ABS, which covers some other interesting facts about the eCensus. They’ve also made a video with the head of Census, Paul Lowe, talking about the eCensus.
ABS thinks that 30% of households will take up the eCensus in 2011, which would be three times the rate of 2006, but there is no limit to how many people can use it and I’m sure they’d be happy if that figure went higher. My household will be doing our form online again, will you?
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We will definitely be using eCensus. Best option all round. Please bring the AEC up to speed before the next election!
Hi Tanya, not sure I can do much about the AEC, though they are heavy users of Census data!
I didn’t even realise there was an electronic form! So much easier. I’ll be using it.
how did you go with online census form?. we cant even find the tick to enter into the box on our ipad. Census inquiry phone number just hangs up, obviously bogged down?
Opened up my eCensus form only to find that the field for the eCensus number is blank rendering it completely useless.
Also the 1300 number requires you to wait on the phone indefinitely.
Where do I find the part which I have to use for the census ????
Where is the page where I write the required info??
Hi Ruben,
This is not the eCensus site, just a discussion about it.
You’ll need to go to http://www.census.gov.au which is the ABS eCensus page. You’ll need your form number and code from your Census collector.
Enquiries about eCensus should be directed to the ABS. 1300 338 776.
Like others ive seen: cant find the actual ecensus form to fill in.
have used http://www.census.gov.au but cant find any link to locate the form.
You need a record number and eCensus envelope delivered by a Census collector. Without one of these you can’t complete eCensus. Collectors are still delivering at the moment.
Hi Glenn,
Do you know if i can submit my completed eCensus after the 9th? or does it have to submit it on the actual night? thanx
eCensus is open for a few weeks after Census, but the information on the form needs to relate to August 9th.
Can the ecensus be submitted before the 9th?
this is the first time i have done this online.
filling out census now
With the census form number do you know how to do the check letter if it is a tick or cross
Census form number includes a check letter at the end, which is filled in by your Census Collector. It is not a tick or a cross.
mine is a C with a line through it. explain that.
Mine has a tick in the Check Letter. Any idea what we should put?
It might be a V that looks like a tick?
Thank you!! It is very clear hand writing on both the envelope and form and definately a tick! But I have tried a V and this works! I suspect the Census collector has done this by mistake! Thanks for your help 🙂
my check letter boxes have a 2 and a four in them. i thought maybe B and D would work but no so i cant log in. any ideas?
Not sure what’s going on there. I’d try the CIS again this morning. Hopefully they are not quite as busy as last night. Don’t worry eCensus is still available for weeks yet. It doesn’t matter if it wasn’t filled in on Census night itself.
Yeah. Our check letters were an X and… a unmistakable 7. Tried T, tried i, tried L, no idea what was intended. It’s a perfect seven, placed in the centre with good padding; not a Z with the box hiding the lower bar. Sigh.
Wondering if anyoe has seen any info on the date range (due dates?) or so for the eCensus mentioned on the paper foprm or the website or in the FAQ on the web or the eCensus enveope. Couldn’t find infoanywhere ….You can do this before the census date or after and how long etc. Did I miss this? (of course, found a itte info from a post here that .. can do for a few weeks after the 9th. Any ight on this? Why this info is missing or so hidden?/
Well, it’s the 9th and at least 3 households in this town are still waiting for the census person.
If you haven’t got a form yet you should ring the Census Inquiry Service 1300 338 776 and they will send a form to you and also get a message to the collector that they may have missed dwellings.
No forms ever delivered. No visit from census person. Try to get eCN and web site tells me to call info number. Info line so busy that I cannot get through. Perhaps no one wants our information.
Hi Chris, keep trying! I’m sure being Census day that they’re very busy. The eCensus is open until September 5th, so it doesn’t matter if it isn’t filled in tonight. If you use the ABS website and request a Household Paper form you can put in your details and you’ll get an eCensus number mailed too, so you can do it online.
http://www.abs.gov.au/census
Same problem here. I didn’t get anyone come to my door and it’s not easy to find any information out! On the phone on hold right now as I type this. This morning when I called they just directed me to the website, but the website is not easily telling me what to do if I did not recieve a census! It’s probably on there somewhere but I can’t find it.
Finally just got through. Took about five minutes. Lady on the phone was helpful, got my information and I’m apparently going to get an SMS with the two numbers I need to fill out the form. So that’s good.
My husband works away from home and i would like to know if i still have to include him on our form as being here? No one has given him a form of his own at work. He wont be home for a another week or so. Is this about where everyone is on that night?
If he’s at a motel or similar they will have a form for him there.
You can give him yr census number providing you have not submitted the form and he can fill it in from where he is. Alternatively, call him and ask him if he wants you to fill out the form. As long as he is not counted somewhere else it is all ok.
Love the idea of eCensus – pity it’s not working. Can’t log in and can’t get anyone on the ‘phone. Well done ABS!
Just opened my eCensus form and the eCensus Number field is blank. I tried calling the Census Inquiry Service, but a recorded message informed me the service is not currently available. Great, looks like I won’t be completing the Census tonight.
You probably looked at the receipt number so to speak… look a little higher there is a number there.
how do you no if you have completed your form correctly online can anyone help me please
Just fill in how many people in your household, If you look on the right hand side you will see person #1 #2 etc…. fill those in it will prompt you if you have missed certain information.
Same here, went to use eCensus but it asks for an envelope number, trouble is no envelope was supplied. Tried to ring the help number but office is closed, you would think they would keep the lines open until late on census night!
You can go online to the ABS website (www.abs.gov.au/census) and go to “Request a form”. If your collector delivered a household form but not an eCensus envelope they should be able to SMS you the required number to complete eCensus. It’s open for several weeks yet so don’t worry that you couldn’t do it on the night!
I’m annoyed! I threw out my pack as I heard on the radio I can complete the census online. Then I find out I needed the number off the form!! WhatThe!!
Oops! Go online to http://www.abs.gov.au and use the “Request a form” option. Or if you still have the eCensus envelope, the required number should be on the front of that.
How do I find my eCensus number?
i’t’s in the inside of the census form you were sent or received either in the mail or in person. All you need to do is open the envelope.
Cant read the last check letter for the census form number. Looks like a backwards C. No one else can read it either. Cant get anyone on the phone.
Could it be a J? Otherwise you’ll need to ring the CIS 1300 338 776 today and I’m sure they can sort it out.
To all those asking questions about filling in the eCensus, unfortunately we can’t help you, as we are only commentators on Census issues, not running the Census. The only thing I’d say is that undoubtedly the Census Inquiry Service is deluged tonight, being Census night, but you can do the eCensus right up to the end of August, so there’s plenty of time to ring the CIS over the next few days and get them to clear up any issues.
By what date do I need to complete my ecensus form and submit it?
Darren – all Census forms are meant to be filled out with reference to yesterday, Tuesday, August 9th – but the eCensus is open for the rest of August and accepting submissions that whole time. Collectors are collecting paper forms for the next few weeks.
My partner was working and told me not to fill out his details…. When he got home I had already submitted my part without his info, Now what…?? He could not get back onto my listing.
That’s no good. I’d say you might have to do a paper form for collection as well. But you should ring the Census Inquiry Service and they will let you know what to do. 1300 338 776.
I have tried several time but keep getting error codes. I have two forms to fill one for my mum who lives next door and has no internet. I loved the idea of doing it online but miserable that it does not work. I expect more from a gov that what info but is no prepared to put up correct programs
That probably means one of your numbers is incorrect. Ring the Census Inquiry Service 1300 338 776.
I’m STILL waiting to receive my form – not delivered in person. I’ve requested one via some web site I found, was advised it would be delivered by Australia Post (???????), and cannot get anyone on the ‘support’ number – censusational!
Yes, they’ll post you out a form if you have no form at all. The Census Collector will get a message that this has been done hopefully alerting them to the fact that they might have missed one or more dwellings. The eCensus is open for several weeks yet so you won’t miss it!
Well my family filled out our eCensus last night, and I have to say it was a breeze. With millions of people doing it online in one night I was amazed how fast and responsive the application was. Took about 20 mins for 4 people and it guided through the form omitting questions not relevant. Well done ABS on a superb system!
The main problems people seem to be having are where collectors have written the record numbers down wrong so the system won’t accept them. When you have a workforce of 30,000 people a few issues like this are to be expected, and this is why eCensus is open for the rest of August so people can submit later if unable to do it on the night.
I have missed filling the form last night. Can i still fill the e-censud form online .. 🙁
Filled out the ecensus last night. Was very easy to complete. However we were not given the choice of online or a form considering we never received a form. We received something with a couple of numbers on it to go online and complete the form but no form for if we had chosen to do it manually.
We had no form delivered to our house, nobody answers the 1300 number it tells me to go to the website. It’s all to hard.
Keep trying – your best chance is probably via the ABS website (www.abs.gov.au/census) and click the bit where it says if you have not received a Census form click here. You will need to order a household form but if you want to do eCensus, an eCensus envelope comes with it too.
Also check your meter box and under your doormat. Sometimes collectors leave them there if you’re not home.
We will definitely be using eCensus. Best option all round. Please bring the AEC up to speed before the next election!
I didn’t receive a Census form either!
I filled it out the old fashion way on paper so when do they come knocking to collect it. After 6? Do you leave it at the door in a envelope?
Hi Kevin,
Your Census collector will come back to your house to collect your paper form. If you were home when your form was delivered then the collector may have asked you when was the best time to come back. If not, please be patient, because they will need to collect it from you personally and will try up to 5 times (so you don’t need to constantly be at home for the next two weeks). I do not recommend leaving your form outside on the off chance your collector will drop by when you’re out.
Where do i get a form number? I never got the form and I can’t complete it online without the number. I tried calling the helpline and its says we are currently not able to provide help!!!!! Can someone HELP ME!!
Hi Millie,
Sorry to hear that you didn’t receive your Census form. Please keep trying the Census Inquiry Service, or you can order them online from the ABS website as well.
I am the only person that lives at my residence and I wasn’t home at all on the 9th. I am down as a second person on someone else s form. do I still complete my form? if so do I do it as person 1 from the start or just go to question 53 as someone who was absent?
Hi Tara,
The ABS doesn’t want to double-count people so you wouldn’t need to fill in your own form. Ring the Census Inquiry Service 1300 338 776 and let them know you weren’t home, so the collector doesn’t return to you. Your usual address information gets captured from the form on which you were counted so the population is right for your usual residence (see http://blog.id.com.au/2010/how-to/should-i-use-enumerated-or-usual-residence-data/)
we never received a census form, we must not be important enough .who do i send my fine for failing to deliver to ??
Hi Neil,
Ring the Census Inquiry Service 1300 338 776, tell them you didn’t get a form, they’ll send one out and the relevant collector will get a message to let them know that they’ve missed one.
You also might want to check under your doormat or in your meter box. Sometimes they’ve been left there.
Glenn
I filled in my form online, and threw out all the details. Then I heard ALOT of people hadn’t done it properly and now I cant check whether mine submitted or not. I don’t want to get a fine- I’m worried.
Don’t worry Danni, ABS don’t fine you if you’ve made an honest attempt!
If you were unsuccessful in submitting the eCensus, your collector won’t receive a message and will return to collect a form. At that time you could request another eCensus envelope and fill it in again, remembering to hit “Submit” this time. You have until September 5th. If the collector doesn’t return, that means you did it correctly in the first place and they’ve got the message it was submitted.
Glenn
How much is the fine and how do they know iwho lives in the house or where someone lives how do you get that info if its confidential And what does our income where we work how much we get paid and if we worked last week have to do with improving the communitie
Hi Karmichael,
Income is one of the most important questions in the Census for demographers – it gives us information about the economic resources of populations, need for particular services to assist those with limited means, and helps us understand gentrification and social change within suburbs and towns, including the need for different housing types. A lot of people for some reason are suspicious of the income question – particularly those on high incomes – in fact most of the interest in the data is at the low income end, the ABS do not share any data on individuals with the tax office, and in any case, it is collected in broad ranges which would be useless to the tax office even if they did.
Hours worked is particularly important in looking at the economic productivity of an area and also addressing policy around work-life balance and child care needs in the community.
Please see our profile.id and economy.id sites for an indication of how these variables are used. Remember that the ABS has no interest in you personally, only in the aggregate statistical picture of the community.
As far as the fine goes – it only applies if you outright refuse to do the form, not if you just return it late or anything. In this case it can be applied at up to $110 per day from Census day, but you would receive plenty of warning including being directed in writing to complete the form. It’s a lot of effort to go to to avoid filling in a form that takes 20 minutes every 5 years! In any case, the vast majority of people have no problem with filling in the form due to the wealth of information on it (most people will have use of Census data at some point), and the questions are actually far less intrusive than what many people have on social media sites or held by private companies which don’t have the ABS safeguards on confidentiality.
Glenn
My census form number does not have a no/letter in all the boxes. Is this why I get a 920 error code when I try to log in?
Most likely that’s the case – Form numbers are 7 digits, check letter then 4 digits, check letter. If you persist it may let you login after a few tries with an incorrect number but probably better to ring the CIS (1300 338 776) and get them to issue a new form number based on your address.
I had submitted the eCensus online before 9th August, and thew my pack away.
But I heard many people said i do need to return the paper even I have done the eCensus. Is it true???? I am worry I will get fine….
Hi Lasia,
Don’t worry, if you submitted your eCensus correctly your collector won’t return and the ABS already has your completed form. You won’t get a fine.
It’s fine to throw out the blank paper form, but you should keep your receipt number for a while as proof you’ve done the eCensus. Even if you didn’t keep that, as long as you hit “Submit” you should be fine.
Glenn
Hi, my friend was at a friend’s house on census night and they did not fill out the form but we did that night. As my friend lives with us we already have submitted the form but without my friends information. Does my friend still need to fill out the form? As well as a different census number as I can’t remember our number?
Thank you for your time.
Hi Tom,
I suspect that your friend would need to fill in a new eCensus with the original form number and the records will be merged at the ABS – but your best bet is to ring the Census Inquiry Service on 1300 338 776 and ask them. Today is the last day you can do an eCensus, so they should be able to give you a new code over the phone,
Glenn
My census collector never came around to collect my form. What do I do with it now?
Hi Matt,
If you completed eCensus you can recycle your blank form – the collector won’t come back.
If you didn’t complete eCensus but filled in a paper form and the collector didn’t return to collect it, you can still post it back to the ABS at the address:
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Census
Reply Paid 86331
Melbourne VIC 8060
No need for a stamp as it’s a reply paid address.
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