NORWICH – Local and state leaders are hoping to increase participating in the 2010 census in order to ensure that New York has fair representation.

The census directly impacts the state by determining the number of Representatives the state has in the House. The United States Constitution mandates that a census be taken at least once every ten years. Census results determine a state’s number of members of the United States House of Representatives and are used used for apportioning federal funding for many programs.

At a recent Census Briefing, Senator Malcom Smith explained, “The 2010 Census is important to us. It’s critical to us. A low count impacts the entire state.” Due to census data, the number of seats New York State has in the House of Representatitives decreased from 45 in 1949 to just 29 by 2000.

State and local officials are encouraging everyone to fill out census data accrately and make sure it reaches the appropriate people.

Census activities officially began this spring. Between the months of April to June, Census employees have been going door to door to update address lists nationwide. Official census questionnaires will be mailed or delivered to households between February and March of 2010. Census takers will visit households that have not returned the questionnaire between April and July of 2010. The census information will be delivered to the president by December of 2010.