Count You In

Census 2010 News Release

Have you mailed in your census information yet? Molokai is lagging behind state averages for response rates, and Census 2010 workers are doing extra work on the island to raise participation. Census information is important because it plays a key role in determining where more than $400 billion of federal funding goes to such services as hospitals, schools, bridges and roads and emergency services. Many use the data on an everyday basis to improve people’s quality of life. It also affects the numbers of seats Hawaii occupies in the U.S. House of Representatives.

East Molokai, representing a population of 4,688, has had a response rate of 43 percent as of April 9, 2010. West Molokai, with a population of 2,569, has a current response rate of 30 percent, while Kalawao County, population 147, has had no responses.

The state-wide average response rate is 59 percent, and census specialists have expressed concern that Molokai is so far behind.

“We are making a final big push to get the island’s rates up before April 20th,” said Hawaii Census Media Specialist Roberta Wong Murray.

That is the date a determination will be made on how many census workers will need to go door to door to collect responses in early May.

There will also be Questionnaire Assistance Centers set up around the island from April 12th through 16th. The locations and times are listed below.

Friendly Market Center 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Kualapu`u Market 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Kulana `Oiwi, Na Pu`uwai 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; Mana`e Goods and Grindz 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, call 1 (866) 872-6868

The U.S. Census counts every resident in the United States, and is required by the Constitution to take place every 10 years. Federal laws protect the confidentiality of all personal information provided. The information collected is used to produce statistics, and cannot be used against you by any government agency or court.