Every ten years, the U.S. Census Bureau is required to count the nation’s population. The U.S. Postal Service has a major role in completing that count by processing and delivering the census forms to every household in the nation. The results of this year’s census will have an impact on the lives of millions of Americans.

The Census Bureau will send six separate mailings, the single largest mailing ever in U.S. history. The data collected will help determine how federal funding is distributed to states and communities, and how many seats a state has in the U.S. House of Representatives.

This year’s census form has only 10 questions—one of the shortest questionnaires in history. And the Census Bureau says the nation can’t move forward until the forms are returned.

The actual survey is being mailed between March 15 and 17. It consists of 123 million pieces of mail. For those households not returning the forms immediately, reminders will be sent out beginning April 1.

For more information about purchasing stamps, stamps by mail, postal regulations, a free subscription to USA Philatelic magazine, Post Office events, the location of the nearest postal store or contract unit, or for answers to your specific Postal Service questions, contact USPS at 1-800-275-8777, or visit www.usps.com. To schedule a presentation for your community, club or group on how the Postal Service brings the Post Office to your home or office computer, call 239-573-9638.

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Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/news.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 26th in the 2008 Fortune 500.