It's not too late to mail in your form! Mail in your form by April 20th to avoid a Census taker coming to your door.
Do you need a form?
Replacement forms are available at your local library and many other community centers and government buildings. Click here to search for locations by ZIP code.
You can also contact one of the organizations listed on the right for more details.
What is the Census?
The Census is a count of everyone living in the U.S. including non-citizens, immigrants, and even undocumented immigrants. The U.S. Constitution requires a Census to be taken every 10 years and everyone is required to participate.
Each household will need to fill out a form that asks 10 easy questions. Click here to see a sample form. Click here for a guide in another language.
When is the Census?
A Census form will be mailed to every household in the U.S. by March 15-17, 2010. You will need to fill out and mail the form by April 1, 2010.
If you do not mail in the form, you will receive up to six visits at your home from the Census from May to July.
Is it Safe?
All information that you provide is strictly confidential and is protected by federal law. Every Census worker has sworn for life to protect your information and faces up to 5 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. Your personal information cannot be shared with any other government agency or law enforcement entity including Immigration & Customs Enforcement. Your information is safe.
Why is it Important?
Census data directly affects funding for schools, transportation planning, health programs, and other social services such as English programs and job training. It also is used to determine the number of seats for our state in the U.S. House of Representatives and the alignment of voting districts.
What if I don’t understand English well?
You can fill out the Census form (click here for an example English form) even if you don’t understand English well. There are 19 different Asian language guides. Click on your preferred language for the guide: Bengali, Burmese, Cebuano, Chinese, Gujarati, Hindi, Hmong, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Laotian, Malayalam, Nepali, Punjabi, Tagalog, Tamil, Thai, Urdu, Vietnamese.
Forms are also available in Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese.
Also, in the Chicagoland area you can contact organizations listed in the menu on the right column of this page for further in-language assistance.
