Working on getting a full U.S. Census count in Wilkes County are (l-r) County Administrator David Tyler, Verdale Thompson and Yoric Erb-Summers from the U.S. Census, Ashley Barnett, and Alan Soto. Forms for the 2010 U.S. Census are expected to be arriving in the mail across Wilkes County next week, and the local Complete Count Committee is encouraging everyone to fill out the form and send it in.

“It’s just 10 questions and it won’t take 10 minutes to do,” said the committee’s head, Ashley Barnett. “It’s absolutely vital that we get a full count of all the residents of Wilkes County, so send in your form as soon as you can.”

The committee met with representatives of the U.S. Census again Tuesday to go over details of the efforts that Census employees, including some 50 local people hired to canvas hard-to-reach groups in the population. “By March 19, we’ll be setting up Questionnaire Assistance Centers and Be Counted sites at locations all over Washington, Tignall, and Rayle to help people fill out their forms,” said Verdale Thompson, Census partnership specialist. “We especially want to reach the people who weren’t counted in the 2000 Census, so we’ll be tracking responses and sending people out to reach those populations.”

The census is working with the Complete Count Committee and groups like Washington’s Unity Group to ensure as many residents are located as possible.

Residents who get their mail at a post office box will not receive a census form in the mail, so it’s important for those families to seek out a Be Counted site or a manned Ques- tionnaire Assistance Center and fill out a Census form, Barnett said. The sites will be located at community centers, schools, libraries, and other public places. A complete list will be published in an upcoming issue of The News-Reporter.

Families who get their mail at a post office box, and who don’t seek out a Be Counted site or assistance center can expect a visit from a locally hired Census enumerator. “These are all Wilkes County people, folks you know, and not strangers from out of town,” Thompson said. “They will have identification, and the information they take will be kept completely confidential.”

The 10-question Census form asks only the number of people living at the residence, if the residence is owned or rented, names, genders, ages, birthdates, race, and relationships of those living in the residence.

If a Census worker visits, first ask for identification. All census workers carry official government badges marked with just their names; they may also have a “U.S. Census Bureau” bag. The census taker will never ask to enter your home.

The best way to be counted, Barnett said, is to fill out and mail back the form that comes next week, or go to a QAC or Be Counted site and fill out the form.