Newsroom Archive

The U.S. Census Bureau reminded the nation today that on Friday, July 30, it will shut down its toll-free telephone assistance line. More than 130,000 interviews have been completed via the toll free line. Friday is the last day for callers who feel they may have been overlooked in the census to complete their 2010 questionnaire quickly over the phone.

“I urge residents that believe they did not receive a form, who did not mail it back or have not been contacted by a census enumerator to call 1-866-872-6868 to ensure they are included in the 2010 Census, making this the best count of the American population to date,” said U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert M. Groves.

For more than three months, individuals who believed they weren't included in the census were invited to call the toll-free assistance lines (open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Russian) to provide their information.

July 30 is the last day to take an interview over the toll free line to leave enough time for Census Bureau professionals to process the data and ensure that residents are counted in the right place and prepare the state population counts by the statutory deadline of Dec. 31, 2010.

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.