ACA American Citizens Abroad

If you have moved abroad since 2000, it may come as a rude surprise that you will NOT be counted in the 2010 US census enumeration unless you happen to be physically present in the US on the critical day: April 1, 2010.  And that's no April fool’s joke.

Who, then, is counted in a US census?  The Census Bureau (www.census.gov ) replies: “The person filling out the questionnaire should include information about all household members (including him/herself) who live and sleep at the address most of the time. The person should also include people who are staying there on April 1, 2010, who have no permanent place to stay. The Census Bureau is mandated by the Constitution to count everyone who lives in this country, regardless of immigration or citizenship status.”
 
Will 2010 Census apportionment population counts also include any Americans overseas?  “Yes, the 2010 Census apportionment counts will include Federal employees (military and civilian) and their dependents living overseas with them that can be assigned to a home state. These data are provided to the Census Bureau by the employing Federal departments and agencies through their administrative records. Private U.S. citizens living abroad who are not affiliated with the Federal government (either as employees or their dependents) will not be included in the overseas counts. These overseas counts are used solely for reapportioning seats in the U. S. House of Representatives.”
 
Overseas American groups made a concerted push to be included in the 2000 census. It was determined that the matter would be investigated, and a pilot attempt at a census of Americans living in France, Kuwait and Mexico, met with disappointing results. The Government Accountabity Office’s (GAO) report entitled, “2010 Census: counting Americans overseas as part of the census would not be feasible” (www.gao.gov/new.items/d041077t.pdf ), was presented to the House Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and the Census on 14 September 2004.
 
An excellent historical view of the varying treatment of overseas Americans in past US censuses can be found in Karen Mills, “Americans Overseas in the US Censuses” (www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/overseas/twps0062.html ).