2010 Census questionnaires arriving

The 2010 Census questionnaire is expected to arrive at households throughout Virginia this week. Census Bureau officials ask everyone to watch for the 10-question form, fill it out and mail it back immediately in the provided, postage-paid envelope. This is the easiest way to participate in the census that takes place every decade, as required by the U.S. Constitution.
Odis Graham is the local census office manager for the part of Fairfax County that includes Fort Belvoir. He said Census and Belvoir officials have identified two groups of people who live on post: those living in family housing units and those who live in group quarters, like barracks.
Graham said housing residents will get their Census forms in the mail this week, on the same schedule as people who live in any town off post.
"I strongly encourage everyone to complete and mail back the form by April 1, which is Census Day," Graham said. For people who do not send the document back? "Then, Census workers are sent out to the housing units that did not respond," he said.
"It saves taxpayers' money to send it back, rather than waiting for a Census-worker to come and get the necessary information," Graham said.
That sentiment was reiterated by William W. Hatcher, regional director for the U.S. Census Bureau. "If the people of Virginia complete the census form and return it quickly, then we won't have to go out, knock on doors, and collect the information," he said. "Returning completed questionnaires saves taxpayer money and increases the likelihood of a full count. That translates into political power and needed federal funding for the state."
Hatcher noted that for every one percentage point increase in mail returns of the census form nationwide, taxpayers save about $85 million in cost of sending census-takers door-to-door to collect census information.
April 1 is Census Day, the reference day for the population count. Every person living in a residence should be listed on the census form, including relatives and nonrelatives, as of April 1. People should be counted where they live and sleep most of the time. People should not wait until April 1 to return the census form, but return it immediately upon receipt.
Census results are important because they are used to determine each state's seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and to redraw state and local voting districts. More than $400 billion in federal funds is distributed annually through state, local and tribal governments to communities each year, based on population data. The funds go for such things as schools, hospitals, transportation projects, roads, job training programs and emergency-response tools.
"It's a win-win situation when people answer the census and mail back the questionnaire," Hatcher said. "It's vital that everyone be counted once and in the right place."
The census is safe, as federal law protects personal census information. Title 13 of the U.S. Code prohibits sharing personal data with anyone, including other federal agencies and law-enforcement entities. Census employees are sworn to secrecy for life and face a fine of up to $250,000 and/or five years imprisonment for violating the oath. Federal law also requires census participation.
Help in completing the census form is available by calling a toll-free Telephone Questionnaire Help Line, 1-866-872-6868. Spanish speakers can call 1-866-928-2010. Questionnaire Assistance Centers also are opening across the state to help people. Language Assistance Guides will be available in 59 languages at the QACs, and callers can get a census form in one of six languages. QAC locations will be posted starting today at 2010census.gov.
Staff reports contributed to this story.