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Selected parts of Travis County, Texas - including portions of Austin and Pflugerville - should have received their 2006 Census Test questionnaires and a follow-up reminder postcard from the U.S. Census Bureau last month.

Replacement questionnaires will be delivered to households in the Travis County test site between April 10 and April 19, if responses were not received by April 3.

"Reminder postcards and replacement questionnaires are used because prior research shows that they help improve the overall mail response rate, and these methods are more cost effective then sending an enumerator to these households to collect the data," said "Cleve" Allen, Austin Local Census Office manager.

The Census Bureau asks that residents of the test area complete and mail back the questionnaire, in the postage-paid envelope provided, as soon as possible.

Census takers, using hand-held computers, will visit and collect information from households that did not return the questionnaire by mail. Also, if the questionnaire is incomplete, a census employee will follow-up with residents to obtain the missing information.

Travis County was chosen as one of two test sites in the country because of its diverse population and varied types of housing, which present a unique challenge to census workers. Participation in the test is critical to ensure a more accurate and cost-effective 2010 Census.

Information supplied by residents is kept confidential. Census workers take an oath to protect the information they collect. Violating the confidentiality of a respondent is a federal crime with serious penalties including a fine or imprisonment.

For more information about obtaining temporary 2006 Census Test employment, call (888) 814-6711.