Problems in Developing the 1980 Census Mail List

In developing a complete and accurate national mail list for the 1980 census, the Bureau of the Census experienced many operational problems. The Bureau's two basic operations for developing the national mail list are (1) physically canvassing rural and small urban areas and listing addresses (prelisting), and (2) purchasing commercial mail lists for major urban areas. The commerical lists are refined through physical canvassing. The quality of the mail lists developed in these two operations is checked by the Postal Service.