From March 12–April 27, the decennial census season will begin with five major mailings that include nearly 590 million mailpieces. These upcoming mailings will contain letters and postcards, as well as questionnaires, to provide citizens with convenient reminders and response options. This is the single largest First-Class Mail® mailing within a 90-day period in U.S. Postal Service® history, and its success depends on everyone doing their part.
Information gained from the U.S. Census is so important, recipients are required by law to respond. U.S. Census data impacts large-scale matters like congressional representation, healthcare, education, infrastructure, and employment, as well as issues within our own communities, such as school lunches, highway planning, and helping those in need.
The U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Postal Service have a longstanding, collaborative partnership that uses innovative Postal Service™ technology:
n Upcoming census mailings will be enhanced by the use of Informed Delivery®, which provides a click-through option to remind recipients to respond.
n The U.S. Census Bureau will use Informed Visibility® to track mailing response.
n The Postal Service™ will also employ Intelligent Mail® barcode Accounting (IMbA) for Qualified Business Reply Mail™ (QBRM) mailpieces distributed by the 2020 Census Bureau to increase mail processing efficiency.
More specifically, IMbA is an automated solution for counting, rating, invoicing, and billing processes. IMbA tracks information collected through the Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb) on the mailpiece as it moves through USPS® processing equipment. Mailpiece counts are then linked to the mailer via the IMbA application, and sent directly to PostalOne! so that the mailer is automatically billed.
Additionally, IMbA offers a way to track the volume of return mailpieces to help the U.S. Census Bureau strategically align its resources. Ultimately, the IMbA application will help expedite the return of important and sensitive census-related information. For more information about the benefits of IMbA, visit postalpro.usps.com/node/7399.
During this highly visible mailing campaign for the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Postal Service prides itself on the trust all citizens and government agencies place in us to safely and reliably serve them at all levels.
— Corporate Reporting, Enterprise Analytics, 3-12-20
