ICYMI, the Census Bureau provided more details this week on its planned 2026 Census Test:
The main purpose of the test is to assess the feasibility of using postal workers to collect census responses from households who do not respond on their own.
- The test runs in Huntsville, AL and Spartanburg, SC, with ~154,600 households invited to respond online (English only) starting May 1, 2026.
- Households will be asked to complete the ACS questionnaire, which includes a question on citizenship.
- Non-responding households may receive in-person visits from census takers, including postal workers, June 1–August 31.
- In Huntsville, postal workers are hired as Census Bureau employees, work evenings and weekends outside their postal duties, and will not identify themselves as postal workers.
- In Spartanburg, postal workers collect responses as USPS employees during their regular mail routes-and may show up in USPS uniforms.
- A Census Bureau FAQ provides additional detail on postal worker training, including background checks, mandatory data security training, and a lifetime oath to protect respondent confidentiality (see 2026 Census Test FAQ).
More coverage:
AP: https://apnews.com/article/census-test-postal-carriers-south-carolina-alabama-2debb32833ca30610ae6a135192377ce
Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/usps-test-new-method-counting-2030-census-11738283
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Mark Mather
Associate VP
PRB
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