How is everyone in the U.S. counted?

In March 2010, the U.S. Census will mail out a short
questionnaire. Everyone will mail the questionnaire
back to the census by April 1st: Census Day.
    

    Does everyone in the U.S. have to be counted?

Yes.
 

    Why?

It is the law. Every person in every city, in every
town, in every village is counted every 10 years.
 

    Do you have to be counted if you are:

a citizen? Yes, you do.
 

living in the U.S. illegally, "undocumented"? Yes.
 

    [Will the U.S. Census tell Immigration, Social Security or
      anyone where you are living? NO. That is the law, too.]
 

living in a homeless shelter? Yes, you do.
  

in college or a boarding school? Yes, you do.
  

living in the U.S. legally? Yes, you do.
  

in a nursing home? Yes.
  

living on the streets? Yes.

[There will be a special day to count people
who are living on the streets.]
 

in a monastery? Yes.

in a hospital? Yes.  

Everywhere.
 

    Will a "census worker" (or "census taker") come to
    my apartment or house to get the questionnaire?

No, if you mail your questionnaire back to
the census;
  

Yes, if you do not mail your questionnaire back.

    Why does Brockton need 'a complete count' of
    everyone who lives here?

Because the federal government gives the most
money (in billions of $$) to the cities and towns
that have the most people;
  

So that if we have a population of 10,000 or more
who speak a language other than English, e.g.,
French, Portuguese, Spanish, those citizens can
have election ballots in that language.
 

    Why does Massachusetts need 'a complete count'
    of everyone who lives in the state?

So that Massachusetts will keep all its representatives to the U.S. Congress!
 
The population of Massachusetts in 2000 was
6,433,422. (U.S. Census Bureau) If the population in
2010 is way down, the new districts might make us
lose one representative beginning with the 2012
Presidential election.