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 Release Information CB10-CN.28 **REVISED** **Contact:**  Public Information Office
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 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2010 Census Bureau Unveils 20-Foot 2010 Census Forms in Major Cities Responding By Mail Can Save Taxpayers Hundreds of Millions As 2010 Census forms arrive in more than  120 million mailboxes across the country this week, several 20-foot-high  replicas of the form began touring the nation today. The U.S. Census Bureau's  Giant 2010 Census Form Tour is part of a large-scale effort to encourage  households to take 10 minutes to fill out and mail back their census forms. The forms will be on display at popular  public sites in a number of major cities this week, such as Times Square in New  York, Union Station in Washington and Daley Plaza in Chicago. Other cities  include Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit, Los Angeles,  Phoenix, St. Louis and San Francisco. Asking just 10 questions and taking only  about 10 minutes to complete, the 2010 Census form is one of the shortest in  U.S. history. The displays will familiarize the public with the look and feel  of the form and its 10 questions, increasing awareness and motivating mail  participation. In 2000, the nation reversed a  three-decade decline in mail rates, achieving a participation rate of 72  percent. The Census Bureau is challenging the nation to "Take 10" minutes to  improve upon that rate in 2010. When households don't return the form, census  takers must go to the homes to get the answers to the questionnaires, driving  up the cost of the census. If everyone across the nation mailed back their  form, taxpayers could reduce the cost of taking the census by about $1.5  billion. "I'd like nothing more than to return  money to the taxpayers following this census because they mailed back the  census forms at a record rate," said Census Bureau Director Robert Groves. "In  the end, the American public's willingness to participate in the 2010 Census  will determine its success and how much money we're able to return to  Congress." The Giant 2010 Census Form Tour is part of the Census Bureau's  multifaceted communications campaign designed to increase mail participation. The  research-based strategy includes targeted advertising in 28 languages,  partnership efforts, special events, public service announcements, Web-based  tools and road tours throughout the country. The forms cost about **$646,000** to  produce and display in dozens of cities over the next few weeks. The  communications efforts during the 2000 Census are widely credited for reversing  the decline in mail participation, more than paying for itself. In 2010, the  Census Bureau estimates that for every 1 percent increase in the mail back  response, we will save approximately $85 million. All census responses are confidential.  Answers are protected by law and cannot be shared with anyone. The Census  Bureau takes extreme measures to protect the identity of individuals and  businesses. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondents' individually  identifiable answers with anyone, including tribal housing authorities, other  federal agencies and law enforcement entities. The 2010 is using social media to reach  out to hard to count populations, reminding everyone to return the census  questionnaire this march. If you can't visit a big form in person, get in on  the action at facebook.com/uscensusbureau for news and photos from each of the  13 locations across the country. Visit flickr.com/uscensusbureau for additional  photos and follow us on Twitter @uscensusbureau for real time updates on the  buzz generated on the ground in each city from the Big Form campaign.
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