The 2011 Census - Electronically for the First Time

In the 2011 Population and Housing Census, the public will be allowed, for the first time in history, to choose whether to fill out the Census Sheets in paper or electronic form. Electronic forms will also be available (in addition to the Slovak and English languages) in the languages of the ethnic minorities (Hungarian, Romany, Ukrainian, and Ruthenian). Electronic counting will be made available through a special website (http://www.scitanie2011.sk), which will be established by the SR Statistical Office for this purpose. We expect that the website will be operational in late 2010, but no later than the beginning of 2011. If you ultimately decide to fill out the Census Sheets electronically, please inform your Census Taker.

Getting counted electronically will be enabled thanks to the so-called identifier. This identifier will be a meaningless, randomly generated number that Census Takers will deliver along with a verification password to each person in a sealed envelope (similarly to the manner in which PIN codes are delivered). Getting counted electronically will only be possible using this unique identifier and the verification password. Each person will only have one identifier, using which a person will only be able to get validly counted once. Since, pursuant to Law Act No. 263/2008 Coll. on the Population and Housing Census ( pdf - 304 kB), it is the responsibility of a Census Taker to "... accept completed Census Sheets from residents or foreign nationals, check whether the forms have been filled out completely and submit the forms to the municipality or to an applicable central government authority... ", Census Takers will be enabled, through a monitoring system that is now under development, to continuously monitor the numbers of persons who have filled out their Census Sheets in both paper and electronic form.

The knowledge possessed by European statisticians refers to the fact that the use of the Internet for purposes of census taking can improve the quality of statistics obtained by enabling the counting of selected groups of population. In the past, numerous countries reported problems with e.g. the counting of young people or persons living in premises with restricted access. It is also assumed that the electronic submission of Census Sheets over the Internet might be more convenient for persons with some disabilities who would probably be more comfortable using this method rather than filling out paper forms. We will see which of these assumptions will be confirmed by the first electronic population and housing census held in the Slovak Republic.