The official count begins on April 1, but workers will be in the villages over the next six weeks and follow-up activities will occur until August.
The 2010 Census is a count of everyone living in the United States and territories, including the CNMI, Guam, Puerto Rico and other insular areas. The Census, which is mandated by the U.S. Constitution, is conducted every 10 years.
The CNMI has participated in the U.S. Census since 1950.
Census data are used to distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year, and to help government and community leaders to make decisions about what services to provide.
“Because the CNMI population has seen many changes in the last ten years, having a complete and accurate count is really important to our islands,” said Juan Borja, Local Census office manager. “We understand the importance of the Census in regards to the CNMI’s future and we take that very seriously. We need our residents to also understand the importance of being counted so that the CNMI gets its fair share of funding,” he added.
April 1 is the date used to determine at which location a person is counted. Where a person is living and sleeping on April 1 is where the person should be included on the Census form. “Some people think that everyone is counted on April 1st, which would be obviously be impossible to do,” said Rebecca Diaz Cartagena, CNMI Census Advisor.
April 1 is the first day of the U.S. Census operation and a reference date when deciding where a person is counted” she added.
Beginning April 6, a telephone assistance center will be available to help residents in completing their forms. Assistance is available in multiple languages and operators will enlist the help of translators when necessary. The Telephone Assistance Center number is 288-3040 and hours of operation are 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m., Monday to Friday; Saturday 12 noon to 8 p.m.; and Sunday 12 noon to 6 p.m., except on holidays.
All answers given to Census Workers are confidential and protected by law. Census workers take an oath for 72 years and face up to five years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine for disclosing any Census data.
For further information about the 2010 CNMI Census, call 288-3023/3027.
