Editor's note: This article appeared in the April 7, 2010, edition of Quirk's e-newsletter.
As the deadline to return Census forms passed last Thursday, a poll from Utica, N.Y., research company Zogby Interactive suggests that a large majority of American adults will complete the Census. However, nearly half express doubt about data confidentiality or whether the results of the Census will benefit their community. Overall, 87 percent of adults say they plan to complete the Census, while 6 percent do not and 8 percent aren't sure.
Concerns about privacy weigh on the minds of many who answered "no" or "not sure" when asked if they planned to complete the 2010 Census. Fifty percent of this group selected "I'm concerned about privacy" as the best reason why they may not complete the 2010 Census, followed by "I don't believe the Census results will benefit my community" (15 percent); "I need more information on the Census before I decide whether to complete it" (9 percent); "I don't know how or where to complete the Census" (9 percent); and "I don't have time to complete the Census" (1 percent). Thirteen percent named other reasons for not completing the Census, and 3 percent responded that they were not sure why they did not plan to send in their forms.
Even while a large majority of Americans plan to complete the Census, respondents are relatively split as to whether the Census will benefit their community (45 percent confident) or not (47 percent not confident). Similar concerns exist around data privacy, with Americans again split as to whether they are confident (46 percent) or not confident (49 percent) that the data they provide to the Census will be kept confidential.