Significant groups of Americans remain unaware of the approaching 2000 Census, and among those who are aware, nearly half are not sure about the merits of statistical sampling according to the Joint Center's 1999 Opinion Poll. Those most likely to report being unaware of the census and the least likely to report seeing ads or being contacted about the census were low-income and less well educated persons - historically an undercounted population.

Among African American respondents, 27% of those earning less than $15,000 and 20% of those with less than a high school education had not seen any ads or been contacted. While the majority of respondents reported that they would participate in the 2000 Census, blacks younger than 36 years, and those with less than a high school education were the least likely to state that they would complete the census form. The survey findings also lend more support for President Clinton's and the Democrats' position on census sampling than for the Republican position.

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