Official U.S. Census Workers Walking Around Neighborhood

Several readers wrote in to us that representatives from the  U.S. Census Bureau have been out the last few days knocking on doors of those who haven't sent in their forms yet.

They said the workers are clearly identified with an identification badge.  If you want to verity that it is indeed a census worker before speaking with them, you can call the Seattle Local Census Office at 206-501-4141.

A reader told us it's takes less than 10 minutes to complete the form verbally with the representative.

And he said the census work said he will be in the neighborhood for the next few weeks all times of the day and evening.

The operation is called Non-Response Follow-Up and the Census website says about this on-foot operation:

Door-to-door census taking occurs in May, June and early July 2010. Local census takers will visit households that did not mail back a census form. All census takers carry an official badge and a shoulder bag — both with the Department of Commerce seal — and a binder. During a visit, census takers will show ID and hand respondents an information sheet explaining that their answers are confidential. The census taker will complete the questionnaire, which should take about 10 minutes. If no one is home, a "notice of visit" will be left at the door inviting the resident to call the census taker to complete the form over the phone.

The website also says that about $85 million is spent each year on following up with those that haven't mailed in their form.

So "Open your door to a Census Taker."