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Thursday, April 1, 2010

History Census! Due Today! (Ish!)

Posted by Eli Sanders on Thu, Apr 1, 2010 at 3:16 PM

Originally posted this morning, but moved up because this shit is important.

No April foolin. That mailer you got from the U.S. Census is due today. It determines how many representatives your state gets in Congress, how much federal government money should go to your neighborhood for social services and roads, and just how many gay couples there are in this gay, gay land. Fill it out—if you're gay coupled, here's what you need to know about how to make sure you're counted—and then mail it in!

(And I can't say for sure, but I'm guessing your form probably won't be counted if you fill it out like this.)

(And, right now Washington State has a lackluster 52 percent participation rate—behind Census all-stars Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Um. Urban Archipelago? Hello? Get your shit together and get to the post office.)

(And, if you're a procrastinator don't read what's in the jump.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

***CENSUS BUREAU MEDIA ADVISORY***

April 1st Is Census Day, Not The Deadline To Send In Your Form

Census Bureau urges households to return questionnaires by April 23

If you haven’t returned your completed 2010 Census questionnaire, it’s not too late! Unlike Tax Day or Election Day, Census Day is not an absolute deadline. Rather, April 1 is the reference point for the once-a-decade “snapshot of America.” So far, about 54 percent of American households have returned their census form. Washington State lags slightly behind at 52 percent.

The Census Bureau hopes that households will mail back their questionnaires as soon as possible because it will save the federal government—and taxpayers—a significant amount of money.

Starting May 1, Census takers will go door-to-door to those households that have not returned a form by the third week of April.

It costs the government just the price of a postage stamp when a household mails back the 10- question form, which should take just 10 minutes to complete. However, it costs the Census Bureau $57 to follow up with a non-responsive household. In 2000, the nation reversed a three-decade decline in mail rates, achieving a mail-participation rate of 72 percent.

Comments (26) RSS

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Austin has more gay couples than us, apparently, but we're #3 after them.

Posted by Baconcat on April 1, 2010 at 10:15 AM

....And if you don't you'll have census takers bothering you until you fill it out! So just do it, it takes like 5 minutes.

Posted by boxofbirds on April 1, 2010 at 10:16 AM

No! I want the census taker to actually come to my house & interview me. That way I can tell them that I live in a studio apt. w/80 other people.

Posted by Keekee on April 1, 2010 at 10:21 AM

What if we never received an actual Census form, and only got the postcard telling us to expect it?

Posted by lily on April 1, 2010 at 10:23 AM

Seattle and King County both are at only 50% according to these numbers! Even worse than the state as a whole.

Posted by leek on April 1, 2010 at 10:25 AM

Ha! Several cities in MN are in the top 50, what's Michelle Bachman to do?

Posted by Peggy on April 1, 2010 at 10:27 AM

look at us, at exactly the national average! but, that map doesn't say anything about the urban archipelago since it's aggregated at the state level.

they really should have included the warning about the in-person census takers in the many pre- and post- mailings. I think that avoiding them makes a much better incentive than patriotic duty.

Posted by josh

on April 1, 2010 at 10:31 AM

Uh, where in the census was there a question about sexuality? Because I was actually kind of annoyed that it didn't ask that.

Posted by starsandgarters on April 1, 2010 at 10:32 AM

Josh: They do have the numbers, but you have to click on "Check your community's results" and enter Seattle, then go to "Place View" or "County View."

Posted by leek on April 1, 2010 at 10:35 AM

I live in a Republican stronghold, so would rather not be counted- less people counted here the better. But I did fill it out and mail it back the very first day.

I think they would get a better response rate if they put a picture of Ed McMahon on the envelope.

Posted by gttim on April 1, 2010 at 10:38 AM

@8 - no specific question about sexuality, but people in same-sex couples should feel free to list each other a as "husband or wife".

Posted by shabadoo on April 1, 2010 at 10:39 AM

Also keep in mind that the Non-Response Follow-Up census enumerators are paid $17.50/hour of your tax dollars!

If you never got your form, check your local library or community center for a questionnaire assistance center. http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10…

Posted by ssmary on April 1, 2010 at 10:51 AM

I've heard that it's not actually the due date, but rather it's Census Day. Your answers on the census are supposed to be current as of April 1. On the radio this morning, they said that you have a few more days to turn it in before you wind up on the list for the in-person follow-up.

Posted by Gidge on April 1, 2010 at 10:59 AM

Damn, I'm out of stamps.

Anybody got 10 stamps, I have to mail my census forms.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on April 1, 2010 at 11:03 AM

Liberal Seattle doesn't answer the census because it hates America.

Posted by right back attcha... on April 1, 2010 at 11:05 AM

@12, that's excellent to know about good pay for census workers-- I will NOT turn in my form today, so that finally some real, direct job-creating government stimulus money will get distributed in this country. Good ol' Keynesian economics at work, yessiree.

Posted by drewvsea on April 1, 2010 at 12:13 PM

WTF Will? No postage required on census forms.

Posted by tiktok on April 1, 2010 at 3:20 PM

@17 tiktok,

that is an example of Will trying to be funny. Often occurs, never succeeds.

Posted by Akbar Fazil on April 1, 2010 at 3:24 PM

@1: I saw those numbers too and figured they must be calculating on a per capita basis. There is no way even in lovechild's universe that Seattle has more gay couples than NYC...hell pick a random five square block sector near the Village and you probably have more gay couples than in Seattle.

Posted by gnossos on April 1, 2010 at 3:28 PM

Plus, you should have clued in, since I said I needed 10 stamps for my census formS.

As in plural ....

Damned, it is April 1st, right?

Posted by Will in Seattle

on April 1, 2010 at 3:30 PM

It's not due today.

Posted by DOUG.

on April 1, 2010 at 3:36 PM

I never got one :(. Do I not count?

Posted by renting in an owned house on April 1, 2010 at 3:50 PM

All this census talk brings to mind a certain Saturday Night Live sketch featuring Tim Meadows and Christopher Walken that aired some years ago.

Christopher Walken is in it, so you know it's guaranteed to be good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XtuPvwBa…

Posted by ChadK on April 1, 2010 at 4:22 PM

@22 - I feel the same way :P

Posted by Collin on April 1, 2010 at 4:23 PM

10 years ago, I got to fill out 2 census (s) (sp?). I moved from one county to another and man, the census worker wouldn't leave me alone. I don't know if it was legal to do both, but she wore me down. It was kinda fun to continually blow her off, but I finally caved.

Posted by slake on April 1, 2010 at 5:00 PM

But really, if it's supposed to be current as of April 1st, it's a little premature to send it before then...cuz...ya know...things change...

Posted by marigold on April 1, 2010 at 9:57 PM