The 2010 Census operations continue and, in addition to door-to-door visits, some U.S. residents could receive a U.S. Census phone call even if you’ve completed and returned your Census form.

U.S. Census Bureau workers are calling some residents in an effort to count everyone living in the United States, as mandated by the U.S. Constitution. Some who receive these calls might have mailed back a questionnaire several weeks ago.

Reasons for these calls might include:

—A discrepancy between the numbers of residents listed on the form and the names given.

—A confusing answer about where someone lives most of the time.

—Illegible handwriting.

—Partial answers or an incomplete form.

—More than one return from the same address.

The only civic event that includes every person in the country, the Census is the basis for America’s representative democracy, ensuring that Congress is fairly reapportioned every 10 years between the states. Census counts are also used to redraw state and local legislative boundaries so that political representation is fairly distributed across their changing populations.

Census data also help determine how more than $400 billion in federal funds are distributed to tribal, state and local governments every year ¯ including funding for schools, roads, health care and other critical programs.

Census asks the following questions:

1. The number of people living in the residence

2. Any additional people that might be living there as of April 1, 2010

3. Whether the residence is owned or rented

4. Telephone number (in case the Census Bureau has follow-up questions)

5. Name 6. Sex

7. Age and date of birth 8. Whether of Hispanic origin

9. Race

10. Whether that person sometimes lives somewhere else

Information the U.S. Census Bureau will not ask for include:

—Social Security numbers

—Bank account information

—Country of origin