Oregon Public Broadcasting

The 2010 Census count is nearing completion.  But some people who've answered the Census may get a knock on the door from a census taker. Tom Banse explains.

U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert Groves gave a status update on the massive operation to count every American.

He says census takers have contacted more than three-quarters of the households that didn't mail back a written form.

Robert Groves: "They will repeatedly visit a household that they've been assigned --three personal visits, three telephone calls in many cases. We call this a persistent action on their part. We understand that some people feel that we are harassing them. We hope you don't feel that way and we beg for your patience."

Groves says the census bureau has heard from people who wonder why someone came to their door even though they mailed in their form. Groves says sometimes that visit is meant to clear up questions or discrepancies.

A face-to-face visit may also be a double check for quality control or to weed out double counting.