Forms Arrive in Mailboxes This Week
March 18, 2010 • By Matt Sutherland, Contributing Writer
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City Residents and Students Should Return Forms by April 1
HARRISONBURG, Va. — Residents across the country, including students, should have noticed some extra post in their mailboxes. The 2010 Census forms were distributed early this week via mail.
April 1 is considered Census Day, a reference-date for Americans to send their completed census forms to the U.S. Census Bureau. Anyone holding residence in America, including green card and visa holders, will need to fill out the census.
Tammie McGee, a Virginia media specialist for the U.S. Census Bureau, said students should not have their parents fill out their form, and will need to complete it according to where they spend most of their residency April 1.
“Students will be counted for in their dorms if they live on campus,” McGee said. “Generally the forms are distributed to your resident adviser. If you live off campus, then you should receive the form in the mail.”
Freshman Kenzie Fisher was confused about what her parents should do for the census.
“I feel like they should have made it easier to know that we need to fill it out ourselves,” Fisher said. “I thought my parents would fill out my own information, but I guess that’s not right.”
Every 10 years the census accounts for multiple government processes, including the allocation of Congressional seats and electoral votes for each state.
In addition, the census also determines the necessary amount of government funding per state. The federal government distributes $400 billion domestically according to the population count of each state.
A single census form is mailed to each residence. For example, if there are three roommates living in one apartment together, then each roommate will be accounted for in a single form.
While it is a federal obligation to complete the census form, many people do not realize it. A March 15 Rasmussen Reports poll states that only 13 percent of Americans understand it is illegal not to answer all the questions in the census form.
The federal government may fine people up to $100 for not answering censusquestions, and up to $500 for providing false information to the Census Bureau. In addition, May 1 is when census takers will knock on people’s doors that did not fill out the form correctly and ask the questions in person.
Freshman Meredith Wood was unaware the repercussions for not filling out the census were so severe.
“I didn’t know you had to [complete the census], but I’m definitely going to,” Wood said. “I wish I knew it was mandatory, like they should have informed us better about it being required.”
The U.S. Census Bureau and Harrisonburg Police Department are also warning people of possible “census scams” that would involve unauthorized people posing as census takers. Although McGee said these are practically nonexistent in the Harrisonburg area, these scams can result in forms of identity theft.
To avoid this, the Census Bureau’s Web site advises residents to ask for an identification badge and contact information the verify the person’s validity. Census takers will never ask for social security, credit card or bank account numbers.
“We’re hoping that all Virginians can fill at the forms as quickly and correctly as possible,” McGee said. “Of course, if they’re not able to, a Census taker will probably have to come to their home, and that might not be as easy.”
In their advertising campaign, the bureau has said the forms will only take about 10 minutes to complete. Although this is true for a single person living alone, McGee said the form would probably take an extra five minutes for each additional person per household.
Contact Matt Sutherland at suthermh@jmu.edu
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