The big quiz: How to participate in the census

LIMA — We all get so much junk mail, we’re almost trained to drop things we don’t recognize into the shredder without even taking the time to open the envelope.

But there’s one envelope the government is asking you to watch for — and it may already be in your box.

The U.S. Census 2010 is under way, with some residents in rural parts of the country already receiving this year’s questionnaire, said Kim Hunter, media specialist at the Detroit Regional Census Center. Most residents — those with regular 123 Main St.-style addresses — can expect the questionnaires to arrive shortly, as they’re beginning to be mailed out Monday.

In addition to the questionnaire, there is a letter that warns you the form is about to arrive. And later, there is a letter reminding you to return your form.

Bake cookies for your mail carrier this Christmas, folks.

“It’s a lot of mail,” Hunter said.

The 10-question form is light blue and includes a postage-paid envelope in which to mail it back. Security is a huge concern for the U.S. Census Bureau.

“It’s safe because your questions are sacrosanct,” Hunter said.

All census workers on all levels are required to take a lifelong oath they will never divulge any information they collect, not even to other government agencies.

“If I were to violate that oath, I would be subject to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine,” Hunter said. “The penalties are severe, and we take it very, very seriously.”

The questionnaire, at 10 questions, should take about 10 minutes for the average household to fill out, Hunter said. One big change: There is no long form this year. The American Community Survey is constantly working on gathering the deep demographics — there are 3 million of these surveys out in the country at any given time — so the long form isn’t needed.

This change was also an attempt to improve the rate at which questionnaires are mailed back. The census was first mailed in 1970, and the return rate had been in decline each year until 2000. In 1990, the return rate was in the 60-odd percent. In 2000, the nation hit 72 percent.

If you don’t return the form, expect a census worker at your doorstep. These workers do not have a standard uniform, but they will have an ID.

“Every resident has the right to ask every worker to compare his or her census ID with a driver’s license,” Hunter said.

Workers are not allowed inside homes, nor do they solicit funds.

The Census Bureau tries to hire workers who are from the area they will canvass, to help “if there are language issues, if there are cultural issues,” Hunter said.

 The workers will have questionnaires and will fill out the forms with the resident.

Each of the 10 questions is approved by Congress and directly relates to a government service.

“There aren’t any Trivial Pursuit questions on there,” Hunter said.

The data affects schools, health care, infrastructure, and, perhaps most importantly, government representation.

“Your congressional power, your political voice, is based on population of your community,” Hunter said. “It’s really one of the cornerstones of the nation ... because that political power comes directly from there.”

The percentages:

In 2000, percentage of those who mailed the form back

Nation: 72 percent

Ohio: 77 percent

Allen County: 82 percent

Lima: 73 percent, although the general Lima area ranged from 61 percent to 88 percent

— 2010 census

The questions:

1. How many people were living or staying in this house, apartment, or mobile home on April 1, 2010?

2. Were there any additional people staying here April 1, 2010, that you did not include in Question 1?

3. Is this house, apartment, or mobile home: owned with mortgage, owned without mortgage, rented, occupied without rent?

4. What is your telephone number?

5. Please provide information for each person living here. Start with a person here who owns or rents this house, apartment, or mobile home. If the owner or renter lives somewhere else, start with any adult living here. This will be Person 1. What is Person 1’s name?

6. What is Person 1’s sex?

7. What is Person 1’s age and date of birth?

8. Is Person 1 of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin?

9. What is Person 1’s race?

10. Does Person 1 sometimes live or stay somewhere else?

The timeline:

Monday — Questionnaires starting to be mailed out to regular 123 Main St.-style addresses. Residents in rural areas already have received them.

April to July — Census workers will visit addresses that did not mail back questionnaires.

December — Data is due to the President so community needs can be assessed.

March 2011 — Data is due to the states for redistricting.

The details:

Visit www.census.gov for more. The questionnaire cannot yet be filled out online, although the U.S. Census Bureau is attempting to work out the security issues and make that possible.