2010 Census forms on the way

The 2010 Census is underway. The Census Bureau dropped census forms in the mail and they should arrive in homes across the state and the country this week.

The Census Bureau is trying to get some basic information with the 10 questions on the form. That includes your name, age and race and how many people live in your household. Officials expect the U.S. Population to be about 309 million, but the Constitution requires an actual count every 10 years.

Census information helps determine how millions of dollars in federal funds are distributed to tribal, state and local governments each year. The census figures also help determine how many seats in Congress each state has. Minnesota is at risk of losing one of its eight seats.

A multi-million dollar national advertising campaign was launched last month to encourage people to fill out census forms and return them by April 1.