Census Bureau Takes Steps to Improve Accuracy of 2010 Census in Mississippi Delta

WASHINGTON, June 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert M. Groves today reaffirmed the agency's commitment to an accurate and complete count of everyone living in the Mississippi Delta.

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Groves visited the region last week and participated in a 2010 Census roundtable discussion in Jackson, Miss., organized by Concerned Citizens for a Better Tunica County. Participants included Southern Echo, an African-American leadership organization; Sunflower County Parents and Students Organization; Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance; Tunica Teens in Action; Moving Forward Gulf Coast; and Mercy Housing and Human Development of Gulfport, Miss.

"I am grateful to our partners in the region who understand the significance of the 2010 Census and what it means for Mississippi," Groves said. "I look forward to continuing these successful partnerships and working closely with our trusted voices in the region to ensure that every person and all areas are counted."

While most of the discussion centered around local efforts to increase awareness about the importance of being counted, there were some concerns about the area's progress toward a complete count.

In response to these concerns, additional advertisements are being planned in Mississippi to encourage residents to open their doors to census workers and to raise the profile of local efforts to ensure a complete count in the Delta.

In addition, residents who believe they have not been counted are encouraged to call the Census Bureau's questionnaire assistance line at 866-872-6868 to complete their census forms over the phone.

Editor's note: News releases, reports and data tables are available on the Census Bureau's home page. Go to http://www.census.gov and click on "Releases."

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau