Fill Out Census Form, Get Gift Card?

The Census Bureau is apparently looking into whether it would make sense to offer prizes to people who fill out census forms in 2010. And it's not the first time officials have considered such a move. Former census director Martha Farnsworth Riche tells Federal news Radio that the bureau looked at the idea "pretty thoroughly" before the 2000 count. "We consulted with people in the sweepstakes industry to find out exactly what would be involved, and after doing that, we decided not to pursue it. It just had more costs than it looked like having benefits."

In the end, officials figured the people who are unlikely to fill out the census form are the same ones who don't participate in sweepstakes.