No census yet for those who use P.O. boxes

Bob Stiles
March 27, 2010

Have a post office box address and haven't received your U.S. census form yet?

Just be patient, says Pam Golden, Census Bureau spokeswoman. The agency will be counting you, but the forms will be coming a little later.

"We're asking these people to wait until April 8 to April 10 to get a census replacement form," Golden said.

The questionnaire can be obtained by calling a telephone number that will be given out by the bureau in the coming weeks, she said.

After residents call in, the forms will be hand-delivered by census workers.

Golden said the forms aren't sent to people who only have post office box mailing addresses because of the dual role of the census.

"The census is both a housing and population count, so it has to go to a house," she said.

Two postmasters in Westmoreland County declined comment about questions their customers have asked about the census, citing postal service policy.

Tad Kelley, spokesman for postal service offices in Western Pennsylvania, said his group has been receiving some calls about customers with post office box addresses who haven't received the census questionnaires, most of whom live in rural delivery areas.

"There have been a few," he said. "It hasn't been overwhelming or anything."

He said generally postal service employees have referred the callers to a census bureau hotline or Web site for more information.

About 120 million forms were mailed to homes across the country in mid-March. Another 15 million questionnaires are expected to be hand-delivered.

People are asked to return the 10-question forms on or before April 1.

The census is mandated by the Constitution. The first was done in 1790 by marshals who went from house to house on horseback.