Newsroom Archive

     With three days left to mail back 2010 Census forms, U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert Groves today sent an urgent message to the people of Alabama:

     “The census form on your kitchen table is a vital investment in your community. It's time for all of us to do our part. Fill it out and mail it back today. Get it in the mail by Friday and you can avoid a visit from a census worker in May.

     “Remember that the U.S. Constitution requires that we count everyone. That means we must visit every household that doesn't mail back a form. It's much easier for all of us — and much less expensive for taxpayers — if we get your census responses by mail. After Friday we have only two weeks to determine which of more than 134 million addresses we must visit in person starting May 1. Join your neighbors who have already performed this important civic duty and take the 10 minutes or less that are required to fill out the census.”

     As of Tuesday, April 13, 65 percent of households in Alabama have mailed back their form. Nationally, 67 percent have. In the 2000 Census, 72 percent of the public mailed back their forms.

     Households that normally pick up their mail from a post office box are already slated for follow-up in May from census workers. But if you are concerned that your household is not in the census address list and that you won't be counted, you can submit your census responses in one of the following ways. Note, however, that there is still a strong likelihood that you will be visited by a census worker in May because of the time it takes to process and verify addresses from these sources.

     (1) Call the 2010 Census toll-free Telephone Questionnaire Assistance number, where operators who are sworn to protect the confidentiality of your answers can take your responses over the phone.

• English: 1-866-872-6868
• Chinese: 1-866-935-2010
• Korean: 1-866-955-2010
• Russian: 1-866-965-2010
• Spanish: 1-866-928-2010
• Vietnamese: 1-866-945-2010
• TDD (Telephone Display Device for the hearing impaired): 1-866-783-2010
• Puerto Rico (in English): 1-866-939-2010
• Puerto Rico (in Spanish): 1-866-929-2010

     (2) Pick up a form at a Questionnaire Assistance Center or Be Counted site in community locations nationwide and mail it back by Friday. The pick-up locations can be found at: <http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map/>.

ABOUT THE 2010 CENSUS

     The 2010 Census is a count of everyone living in the United States and is mandated by the U.S. Constitution. Census data are used to apportion congressional seats to states, to distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to tribal, state and local governments each year and to make decisions about what community services to provide. The 2010 Census form is one of the shortest in U.S. history, consisting of 10 questions, taking about 10 minutes to complete. Strict confidentiality laws protect the respondents and the information they provide.