Smith Encourages Census Participation

Press Release

After a tour and meeting with officials at the North Platte U.S. Census office, U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) today encouraged Third District residents to take an active role in their communities and participate in the 2010 Census.

Census questionnaires will be delivered to households via U.S. mail in March 2010. Census takers will also go door-to-door to visit households. Information provided to the U.S. Census Bureau is used by federal, state, and local governments to assess the current and future needs of communities. Census data is used to determine the level of funding for schools, libraries, telecommunications services, health care and other business and economic development initiatives.

Following the 2000 Census, Nebraska's total population was more than 1.7 million, with each of Nebraska's three congressional districts representing approximately 570,000 people. Some projections for the 2010 and 2020 Census show Nebraska's population not keeping pace with growth in other urban areas of the country.

"Filling out the U.S. Census when it comes in your mail takes only minutes, but is an important duty fundamental to our democracy. I appreciate the efforts of our Census workers, and I encourage all Nebraskans to stand up and be counted when their turn comes. It does make a difference," Smith said.

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