As someone elected to serve the Second Congressional District of Michigan, I am dedicated to ensuring each resident understands the importance of participating in the 2010 Census. I encourage people to complete and mail back their 2010 Census forms. Every year, the federal government distributes more than $400 billion to state, local and tribal governments based upon census data. Leaders use this data to guide planning decisions on where to build new roads, hospitals, child-care and senior citizen centers, schools and more. Data also determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Census Day is April 1, 2010. The U.S. Constitution requires a population and housing census every 10 years. Census forms will be delivered or mailed to households in March 2010. Households should complete and mail back their forms upon receipt. Census workers will visit households that do not return forms to count them in person.
Information shared with the Census Bureau is completely confidential. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondents' answers with anyone, including tribal housing authorities, other federal agencies and law enforcement entities. All Census Bureau employees take the oath of nondisclosure and are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data. The penalty for unlawful disclosure is a fine of up to $250,000 or imprisonment of up to five years, or both.
For more information about the 2010 Census, please visit 2010 Census.gov.
What is the Census?
Census FAQ
Census Timeline
