Census Reports Early Returns on Forms

The Census Bureau has already received 2.4 million completed questionnaires, said agency director Kenneth Prewitt, urging Americans to fill out and send back the forms. Census forms should be arriving at 120 million homes this week and the early returns represent about 2% of the total. The national head count is required by the Constitution every 10 years and most households are expected to reply by mail, though citizens can also respond by e-mail or phone. Census workers will visit those who fail to do so, as well as families in some rural areas.