By Bill Robinson
Senior News Writer
RICHMOND — Madison County households will be receiving questionnaires in the mail today through Wednesday from the U.S. Census Bureau which is carrying out it constitutional mandate to count all U.S. citizens every 10 years.
Letters were mailed last week advising household to be watching for the census questionnaire, according to J.C. Barbour, the bureau’s media specialist for Kentucky.
Filling out the simple, 10-question questionnaire and mailing it back immediately in the provided, postage-paid envelope is the easiest and least expensive way for citizens to be counted, Barbour said.
Households who do not respond by mail will have to be visited by a census worker, he said, a time-consuming process for the bureau and the household, as well as an extra expense to taxpayers.
“If the people of Kentucky complete the census forms and return them quickly, then we won’t have to go out, knock on doors, and collect the information,” said William W. Hatcher, regional director for the U.S. Census Bureau. “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.”
A full count of all citizens is important to every community, census officials said.
Kentucky’s representation in Congress, Madison County’s representation in the state legislature, even the lines of local magisterial districts are determined by the 10-year census. Disbursements of federal and state funds, as well as allocation of public services and resources also are based on census numbers.
The city of Richmond is using the decorative banners that hang from downtown lampposts to help alert citizens to the census.
April 1 has been dubbed Census Day, the reference day for the population count, Barbour said. Every person living in a residence should be listed on the confidential census form, including relatives and nonrelatives, as of April 1. People should be counted where they live and sleep most of the time.
“You should not wait until April 1 to return the census form,” he said. “Fill it out and return it immediately. Census takers will begin collecting information from households that did not return the form May 1.
The census data is kept confidential, Barbour said. Federal law protects personal census information by prohibiting the sharing of 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.
Those who need help completing the census form may call the toll-free telephone questionnaire help line at 1-866-872-6868. Spanish speakers may call 1-866-928-2010.
Language assistance guides will be available in 59 languages, and callers also can get a census form in one of six languages.
Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@richmondregister.com or at 624-6622.
