US Census Starts Using Postal Workers as Census Takers

The U.S. Census Bureau is testing the use of USPS postal workers to conduct Census surveys in advance of the 2030 Census, report Mike Schneider and Susan Haigh for The Associated Press.

Starting in June, teams of postal workers will begin asking Census questions in Spartanburg, South Carolina and Huntsville, Alabama. In Spartanburg, the postal workers will ask Census questions along their routes. In Huntsville, they will collect responses outside of regular mail delivery hours. According to the authors, the idea has been around for decades, with supporters saying it would leverage the trust people already have for their postal workers. 

However, a 2011 report from the Government Accountability Office determined that using mail carriers as census takers would not be efficient since they are paid significantly more than typical Census workers. And while postal workers do visit homes every day, getting census results often involves visiting homes multiple times. 

The Census Bureau has also made changes to its test questionnaire that worry advocates, such as eliminating foreign language options and including a citizenship question.