According to the U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration, the U.S. Census Bureau is issuing a call to action for every resident of this nation to “Be Counted in 2010.” A complete and accurate count is needed for all U.S. citizens.

The census is an account of all U.S. residents, both citizens and non-citizens. The U.S. Constitution requires a national census be taken every 10 years to show state population, which determines representation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Census Day will be April 1 and questionnaire responses should represent the household as it exists on that day. Questionnaires will be delivered or mailed to each household in March. There are 10 questions and it should only take 10 minutes to complete. Census workers will visit those who do not return the questionnaires.

By law, the Census Bureau cannot share an individual’s census response with anyone, including other federal agencies and law enforcement entities.

Every year the federal government can allocate more than $300 billion to states and communities based in part on the census. The data helps guide the planning of new hospitals, roads, job training centers, schools, the receiving of block grants and more.

For information, go to 2010census.gov or contact a Regional Census Center at (312)-454-2700.