National Census Day is Thursday, and it's time to fill out those forms you were sent in the mail.
Here are some things to keep in mind for Census 2010.
Part-time residents:
"By law, the census counts people where they live or sleep most of the time," said Earlene K.P. Dowell, a census spokeswoman.
Winter visitors who are in Tucson for a few months should follow this procedure to be counted properly:
• Enter "0" on the spot on the form for number of people residing there, and fill out no other answers, writing "usual residence elsewhere."
• Wait until you return home to complete the form sent to your residence. If you haven't received a form, expect to be contacted by a census worker in May or June.
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College students are counted only once - where they attend school. Parents should not list students who spend the school year away from home as members of their household.
Beware of fraud
According to Census.gov, the census neither allows people to fill out their forms online nor does it send e-mails.
If you're approached by a door-to-door census worker, you can ask to see an identification badge. You can call the Denver Regional Office, which oversees 10 states, including Arizona, at 1-800-852-6159 to verify the badge number.
Census workers will never ask for your full Social Security number or to enter your home.
If you receive an e-mail claiming to be from the census, you can report it by forwarding the message to ITSO.Fraud.Reporting@ census.gov. Do not open any attachments in a fraudulent e-mail.
Tucson Call center
The Census Bureau Tucson Telephone Center, which opened in October 2008 at 201 N. Bonita Ave., Suite 251, is one of only three in the country. The others are in Hagerstown, Md., and Jeffersonville, Ind.
Workers at the center answer questions on completing surveys, resend surveys and assist non-English speakers. Census officials said they didn't know how many employees work at the center or how long it would stay open.
To reach the call center, call 798-4160.
Contact reporter Phil Villarreal at 573-4130 or pvillarreal@azstarnet.com
