What You Need to Know About National Census Day

National Census Day is April 1 and everyone is encouraged to fill out and mail in their questionnaires because the amount of response will determine how much funding a community will receive in the next decade.

Thursday, April 1st 2010, 4:40 pm

By: News 9


By Jacqueline Sit, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- National Census Day is April 1 and everyone is encouraged to fill out and mail in their questionnaires because the amount of response will determine how much funding a community will receive in the next decade.

According to the census Web site, only half of the Oklahomans have returned their forms.

View a map of the 2010 Census Participation Rates.

What You Need to Know about the Census

What if I didn't get one or lost it?

The Census is mailing out a second round of forms beginning April 1 if you haven't filled them out. If you haven't receive it by April 10 you can call a couple of numbers, a telephone questionnaire assistance center, or go to a B counted site spread across Oklahoma County and get a questionnaire from them and fill it out. The telephone centers should be able to send you a questionnaire also.

After I turn in my form, what's next?

After about July, we have a few things wrapped up and we do some analysis starting before Christmas time, we turn it over to the president, we have to legally by January 2011 and by then they'll have a population count for the states. Starting April 2011, you'll have the counts on a city and community level.

What will happen if I don't fill it out?

Beginning May 1, you can get a knock on your door from a Census taker.

Our census data determine how over $400 billion of the federal funds are allocated to the states. The results also determine how to allocate seats in the House of Representatives.

Under the law, there is a fine of up to $500 for not filling out the Census.

"We are not a law enforcement agency by any means, we're strictly data collection if for whatever reason the Department of Justice want to do that, that's their call, but we're not advocating that at all. We definitely want people to fill it out because people should realize it's very important in our community to get these funding," Rich Gerdes, Assistant Regional Census Manager said.

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