Contacting Elected Officials: Tips for Contacting Elected Officials

Emails, letters, and phone calls are effective ways to communicate with your elected officials. Below are some tips on contacting and communicating with your elected official. While the majority of communication legislators receive is from their direct constituents, there are no rules against contacting other legislators, especially if they are positions of power. The Speaker of the House, Minority Leaders, chairs and/or ranking members of a committee, as well as members of a committee working on the issue you are concerned with can be contacted by anyone wishing to express a view on an issue. 

1.  Be Original- Consider writing your own original correspondence. While many organizations can provide you a pre-written letter or postcard that you simply sign, many legislators still consider a thoughtful, original letter worth 1000 of the pre-written letters. Feel free to use a pre-written letter as a base and write using your own words.
2. Stay Brief- The maximum length of a letter/email should be 1-page. Keep in mind that the letter will most likely be read by a legislative aid and summarized for the legislator, so a brief letter is best.
3. State Who You Are and What You are Writing About- Identify yourself as a constituent and why you are writing in the first paragraph. This will keep your message brief. If you are not a constituent, briefly state why you are writing, such as "Your role as a member of X committee is the reason I'm writing..." Refrain from using lines like "As a citizen and a taxpayer..." Also, if you know the bill by name or bill number state it in the first paragraph, or even the first line, such as "This letter concerns The Letter Writing Act" or something similar
4. Personalize Your Message- If the legislation you are writing about will affect you personally, tell the legislator about it. Write a brief personal story about what the legislation will/will not do for you and/or your community.
5. Personalize Your Relationship- The more you can personalize your relationship with the legislator, the stronger your letter/email will be. If you voted for the legislator, worked on his/her campaign, or donated money to the legislator or their party, say so. If you ever met the legislator, briefly mention this in your message. If possible, attend town halls, virtual or in-person, and other public events your legislator holds. 
6. Three Points- In keeping your correspondence short, consider making no more than three main points. Flush out your three strongest points and stick with them.
7. Be Respectful- The easiest way to not have your message read is to be disrespectful. "Dear Idiot" will probably stop the reader from going further, however taking a firm position on an issue is fine. Do not use profanity. Even if your legislator is not the person you voted for, remember to be respectful.
8. Include Your Address in Your Signature, Even in Email- Legislators are busy people and you should never demand a response. However some legislators will take the time to write back, but they cannot if you do not include your address. Including your address also affirms the fact that you are a constituent.
9. Proper Address- Below are the ways to address your letters/messages:
   1. Dear President:
   2. Dear Vice President:
   3. Dear Senator (Name):
   4. Dear Representative (Name):
10. Follow up- After you have contacted the elected official, follow up on what they did. If they voted the way you wanted, consider writing a short thank you note, affirming how outcome will affect you. If your legislator did not vote the way you wanted, consider contacting them and respectfully express your disappointment, and maybe include brief point on how it will affect you. In any follow-up letter/email, mention the fact that you wrote them before the vote was taken.
11. When contacting by phone, be brief and respectful- In 99% of calls to Congress, you will be talking to a legislator's staff member. Keep in mind all the above points and consider writing down what you want to say before making the call. Do not raise your voice or become argumentative. Be brief, cordial and courteous in all conversations.