The Massachusetts Senate Committee on the Census convened on June 16, 2025, to discuss strategies for enhancing participation in the upcoming census. A key focus of the meeting was the establishment of Complete Count Committees, which are designed to promote census awareness and increase the accuracy of population counts.

Complete Count Committees, often referred to as "get out the count" efforts, have been adopted by many states to ensure a thorough enumeration of residents. In 2020, 47 states implemented such committees, primarily through executive actions. Massachusetts had its own Complete Count Committee, established by the Secretary of State, which received $6.65 million in funding to support outreach initiatives.

The committee's approach involved awarding grants to local community organizations engaged in census preparation and outreach. The rationale behind these committees is that they can lead to a slight increase in the number of individuals counted, which is crucial for federal funding allocations to the state. More importantly, these committees are believed to enhance self-response rates, which are significantly more accurate than estimates made by neighbors or through statistical imputation.

Self-response is vital for the integrity of census data, as individuals providing their own information tend to yield more reliable results. The committee emphasized that while Complete Count Committees may only marginally increase the total count, their role in boosting self-response rates is essential for achieving a more accurate census.

As Massachusetts prepares for the upcoming census, the discussions highlighted the importance of community engagement and the strategic use of resources to ensure every resident is counted accurately. The committee's efforts will continue to focus on outreach and support for local initiatives aimed at maximizing participation in the census.