Check your mail closely if you are a resident of Colquitt, Thomas or Tift counties in southwest Georgia. U.S. Postal Service workers today began delivering the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2004 Census Test questionnaires to residents of these areas who have city-style addresses. The mailings will continue through March 18.

       In addition, census workers will personally deliver questionnaires from March 1 through March 30 to homes in rural areas of the three southwest Georgia counties.

       The Census Bureau asks that residents of the test area complete and mail back the questionnaire, in the postage-paid envelope provided, as soon as possible.

       Information supplied by residents is kept confidential. Census workers take an oath to protect the information they collect. They may be fined or sent to jail for breaking this oath.

       After April 24, census workers, using hand-held computers, will begin visiting and collecting information from households that fail to return the questionnaire by mail. Also, if the questionnaire is incomplete, a census employee will contact residents to obtain the missing information.

       Census tests are critical to ensure a more cost-effective and accurate 2010 Census. For the Census Bureau to do a better job in the next census, it needs to find out now what works best in communities across the nation.

For digital photos supporting this release:
http://www.census.gov/pubinfo/www/photos/2004testphotos/2004testphotos.html