In 156 days the 1940 census will be released on April 2, 2012, for the public to view. You will be able to view the 1940 census for free on the NARA (National Archives and Record Administration) website starting at 9am.

The 1940 census will not be indexed so you will have to locate your ancestors by the enumeration district in which they lived. Maps of the 1940 census enumeration districts and other 1940 census research tips are available at www.archives.gov/research/census/1940. You can also email the National Archives with any 1940 census questions you may have: 1940census@nara.gov.

Information for this post was provided by the “The Civil History,” The Regional Newsletter of the Friends of the National Archives-Southeast Region and the National Archives at Atlanta, October 2011, page 1.

You can also sign up through the Family Search website to be a volunteer indexer for the 1940 census!

https://familysearch.org/1940Census

by Aspasia Luster