March 05, 2010

Minot partners with U.S. Census Bureau

2010. The beginning of a new decade. And, the time when the U.S. Constitution states that the government is to do a headcount of all people living within the United States. Since the first census in 1790, when U.S. Marshalls went on horseback to count the 3.9 million people in the country, the Census has been a very visible part of our lives. 2010 will be no different.

From a local standpoint, the City of Minot has formed a Census Complete Count Committee, with the charge to encourage the community to return their questionnaires and to stress the importance of an accurate count because various city funds and the potential for additional grant dollars to non-profits are tied to the Census.

The census slogan this year is a catchy and simple one, “10-10-10, 10 questions, 10 minutes in 2010.” The large majority of residents will receive a very simple form to fill out. You only have 10 questions to answer, asking you exactly how many people live in your household on April 1, 2010 and a few follow-up questions related to your sex, age and race. As well, you will be asked the sex, age and race of those living in the house or apartment.

Everyone will get this Census form in the mail after March 15. If you do not receive a form or feel that you have not been counted, there will be ways to receive a form from locations in town and throughout the region.

In recent Census reporting, Ward County and other surrounding regions have had a pretty good return rate – roughly 70 percent. The biggest concern for the 2010 Census Complete Count Committee will be to reach those 30 percent who aren’t returning their form. These hard-to-get groups are most likely to be those living in a rural setting, university students living off campus, Air Force families who are unsure of whether or not to fill it out (the Census has no impact on your residency status – so regardless of your home state, fill out the census for where you are living on April 1, 2010), snowbirds, the homeless or transient and others.

Local promotion for the 2010 Census is a big part of the committee’s work, including presentations at area service clubs, flyers in grocery bags in the weeks leading up to April 1, banners at large events/conventions in The Magic City, public service announcements on television/radio/newspaper, reminders in church bulletins, Web site banner ads and many other creative forms of communication. We hope that you don’t feel bombarded by the message of the Census, just comfortable with understanding its importance to our community as well as being willing and able to fill out an accurate census form.

Don’t forget, “10-10-10, 10 questions, 10 minutes in 2010!”