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Communicating effectively with your legislators

Before you decide how to communicate with your legislator, here’s something to consider including in your correspondence. Personal stories about how the bill would or does impact you are the most meaningful ways to communicate your position.

Phoning your legislator

The “Legislator lookup” tool in the Your Voice site will match your address to your local legislators and their phone numbers. You can also reach U.S. legislators through the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

Staff members usually handle calls to the legislator’s office, so it’s important to ask to speak with the staff member who handles your issue of interest. Be sure to identify yourself, and ask to leave a brief message for the legislator that states the purpose of your call. For example: “Please tell Senator/Representative (Name) that I support/oppose (S.___/H.R.___).”

It is also important to say why you support or oppose the bill. If you don’t already know, ask for your legislator’s position on the bill. Finally, you may request a written response to your telephone call/message if you’d like.

Tips on writing your legislator

The letter is still one of the more widely used methods of communicating with a legislator’s office. Writing a letter gives you, as a constituent, the opportunity to express and defend your position on an issue. Your letter will be most effective if you follow a few simple guidelines:

• State your purpose for writing the letter in the first paragraph. If your letter pertains to a specific piece of legislation, identify it by name or bill number.
• Be courteous. Even if the legislator has taken positions you disagree with, be respectful.
• Get to the point quickly and address only one issue in each letter. As a rule of thumb, it is best to limit your letter to one page.
• Be sure to include information and your own personal reasons for supporting or opposing a piece of legislation. Legislators are not only influenced by who supports legislation but also why.
• When writing to the chair of a committee or the Speaker of the House, it is proper to address them as Mr. Chairman or Mr. Speaker (or Madam Chairman or Speaker).
• Always include your name and complete physical home address (no PO boxes) so the legislators will know that you are one of their constituents and will know how to respond to you.

Click here to view a sample letter. Legislators’ addresses are available at “Legislator lookup.”

Tips on emailing an elected official

In general, the same guidelines for writing a letter apply to email messages. With an email message to a legislator, as with a letter, it’s very important to include your street address in the email. This is the only way a legislator knows that you’re a constituent. In many instances, emails without street addresses may not receive a response.

Which is best, a letter or an email?

That depends on the legislator and the staff. However, well-written, personal communications from constituents have the most impact regardless of the delivery format. Do be aware that letters can take up to two weeks for delivery because of security procedures. If your topic is more urgent, perhaps related to a bill due for a vote in the next few days, then a phone call or email would be a better and quicker option.