United States Census forms are now being distributed to Dartmouth students living in residence halls. Distribution started yesterday and may continue through tomorrow.
Census workers are going door-to-door as early as 9 a.m. each day to distribute the forms, which both U. S. citizens and non-citizens are legally bound to complete.
The forms must be completed and turned in by noon on Monday, April 24. There are collection boxes for the forms in most residence halls. A list of collection box locations was posted in a series of BlitzMail cluster bulletins Wednesday.
According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the law provides for a 100 dollar fine for anyone who does not turn in a census form, although it is rarely if ever enforced.
"We hope people will realize that they are legally responsible," said Cathy Henault of the Office of Residential Life, which is working with the Census Bureau to coordinate distribution of the forms.
Henault said that although distribution is scheduled to last through tomorrow, ORL hopes the Census Bureau may be able to complete the job today since 10 workers have been assigned to cover the campus.
College students receive a slightly different version of the form from residential households.
According to the Bureau, this is because college residence halls are considered "group quarters," a category which also includes nursing homes, military barracks and prisons.
The Census Bureau considers college students residents of the place where they attend school, so the only way Dartmouth students will be counted is to fill out their forms here, since parents are instructed not to include their college-attending children on their own forms.
Like the forms for households, the group quarters forms come in two versions, a short form and a long form.
Most students will receive the short form, but a few will receive a more detailed long form instead.
Census workers and distributors -- temporary employees of the Census Bureau -- include some Hanover citizens and other workers from outside the Upper Valley.
