If you filled out and returned one U.S. Census form, and then receive another in the mail, tear the second one up, throw it away, burn it, do whatever you like to it — except send it back.
It’s only the federal government attempting to get an accurate head count.
“If you mailed back your census form and you already responded, you can dispose of that [second] form any way you feel comfortable,” said Brian Maule, regional census manager based in Silverdale.
“We’re not asking people to return the second form if they already filled out and returned the first one,” he said.
A second mailing of census forms last week targets most of Clallam County and West Jefferson County, as well as parts of East Jefferson County, because those areas had low numbers of people returning forms in the 2000 census, Maule said.
“In areas where the overall response rate is below the national average, the census is sending out second forms,” he said.
“By doing so, we will increase the response rate from 7 to 10 percent.”
That’s despite the fact that, as of Friday, Callam and Jefferson counties had the highest response rate in the state, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Web site at tinyurl.com/yh4wmx9, which shows Jefferson with a rate of 63 percent and Clallam’s rate at 62 percent.
2000 census
In the 2000 census, the response rate in Clallam County, including Port Angeles and especially in Forks, was below the national average of 67 percent in the 2000 census, Maule said.
Clallam County’s 2000 census response rate overall was 62 percent, while Jefferson County’s overall response rate was 75 percent.
“I would anticipate that the vast majority of Clallam County will get [a second mailing],” Maule said Friday.
“It will be more targeted in East Jefferson County.”
Port Townsend residents, for instance, will not receive a second census form. Those living in Port Hadlock and Port Ludlow will.
There may be other areas in Jefferson County that will receive the form a second time, as well; Maule did not have a complete list.
The Census Bureau began mailing the first round of questionnaires on March 15.
If a resident does complete and return two census forms, it won’t affect the count, Maule said.
Forms have individual bar codes that are for specific addresses, so census workers can track each form.
“If they do fill it out again and mail it in, we will catch duplicates,” Maule said.
If, however, the information on the two forms differs, then a census worker will knock on the door to clarify the discrepancy.
Other reasons for a visit
There are other reasons a worker might knock on your door.
• If you don’t have a mailbox at your home, you may receive a form on your doorstep or a census worker arriving to interview you in person.
The U.S. Census does not deliver to post office boxes
“The census is all about counting people where they live and sleep, so we must tie each form to a physical location,” said Robert Groves, director of the U.S. Census, in a prepared statement.
“Post office boxes are not tied to specific housing units, so we can’t use them to send the forms to specific housing units.”
• Forms will be hand-delivered to specific areas of the Peninsula that have a very low response rate, Maule has said.
These areas include such as some parts of Clallam Bay, LaPush, the Lower Elwha reservation and about two blocks in Jamestown, he has said.
• Those who don’t receive a form will get a visit from a census worker sometime after May 1.
Higher than state rate
As of Friday, both Clallam and Jefferson counties had higher response rates than the state or the nation.
The national census response rate was 56 percent, while the statewide rate was 55 percent.
Sequim’s response rate was 66 percent, Port Townsend’s was 65 percent, Port Angeles’ was 61 percent and Forks was 46 percent.
The numbers had jumped from Thursday, when Clallam County had a 59 percent response rate and Jefferson County had a 60 percent response rate, with Port Townsend coming in at 62 percent, Sequim at 63 percent, Port Angeles at 58 percent and Forks at 45 percent.
On Thursday, Columbia County in the southeast corner of the state had the highest response rate at 61 percent.
As of Friday, the lowest county return rate was 37 percent in San Juan County.
To see the interactive map created by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google, go to tinyurl.com/yh4wmx9. The data is posted from Monday through Friday.
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Managing Editor/News Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3531 or leah.leach@peninsuladailynews.com.
breakout follows story
THE 2010 CENSUS PORTRAIT of America Road Tour will stop in Port Angeles on Monday, the only stop the traveling display will make on the North Olympic Peninsula.
The display will be in the parking lot of Safeway, 110 E. Third Street, across from the Clallam County Courthouse, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Twelve vans and one bus are taking interactive displays around the nation to encourage people to fill out and mail back questionnaires for the once-a-decade count of Americans.
Present at the display will be the co-chairmen of the Clallam County Complete Count Committee for the U.S. Census: Mike Doherty, county commissioner, and John Miller, county Community Development Director.
Also attending will be Port Angeles Mayor Dan Di Guilio; Cherie Kidd, Port Angeles Council member; Brian Maule, regional census manager based in Silverdale and Dannie Diego, Census congressional liaison.
The 2010 Portrait of America showcases a collection of stories about how the census will make a difference to communities.
Census data are used to apportion congressional seats among the states, to help distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year and to make decisions about what community services to provide.
A mobile questionnaire assistance center will be staffed by census employees to offer help in filling out the forms.