After reading the Sun Journal article, “Mainers among the worst at providing answers to census” (April 7), one wonders if a different question would lead to better results. After all, nobody could answer the question “Who lived in this house on 1 April?” before that date. About a third of the people thought they could and did provide an answer.

I would like to know how many waited, as I did, until April 1 to answer the question. On a past census, an answer was expected in mid-February and the Census Bureau sent a fellow to knock on my door. He arrived on April 2, accused me of having been in the military because I had waited until April 1 to respond, announced that he intended reporting me to his supervisor and had me report again, using the long form.

I may have been counted twice that year.

John Crumpton, Oxford

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