Census sending another round of surveys in mail
The U.S. Census Bureau is mailing another round of 2010 census questionnaires to about 40 million households through April 10.
These replacement questionnaires will give households that have not yet responded another opportunity to fill out their form and return it by mail. The goal is to increase mail response rates in areas that had low mail response rates in 2000 and decrease expensive door-to-door follow up operations.
The difference in the cost for mailing a questionnaire back compared to door-to -door enumeration is significant. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that it costs approximately $57 per household to send a trained census taker to your door while it only costs 42 cents to return the questionnaire by mail.
One of the most consistent findings in survey research is that mailing a second questionnaire leads to higher response rates. "The mailing of a second questionnaire is a polite reminder that we may not have received your completed census questionnaire yet. If you have already returned a completed form, please discard the second form. If not, this is an easy way to complete the census without having to search the house for a misplaced questionnaire," said an agency spokesperson.
Some households may receive a replacement questionnaire with an incorrect or missing city name or zip code information. "If your household should receive a census questionnaire with an incorrect mailing address, don't worry because if the form arrives at your home, your household will be counted in the right location. Do not cross out the bar code or address," according to the spokesperson.
Persons who may need assistance in completing their 2010 Census form may call "Telephone Questionnaire Assistance" at 1-866-872-6868/TDD 1-866-783-2010.
Anyone who would like to receive help in person can go to a Questionnaire Assistance Center. To find a Questionnaire Assistance Center, go to http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map/ and click on "Find a Questionnaire Assistance Center."
The 2010 Census is an actual count of everyone living in the United States and it is mandated by the U.S. Constitution. Census data is used to allocate congressional seats to the states and to distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to tribal, state and local governments each year.