Letters and faxes are an extremely effective way of communicating
with your elected officials. Many legislators believe that a letter
represents not only the position of the writer but also many other
constituents who did not take the time to write.
These tips will help increase the effectiveness of your letter:
Keep it brief: Letters should never
be longer than one page, and should be limited to one issue.
Legislative aides read many letters on many issues in a day, so your
letter should be as concise as possible.
State who you are and what you want up
front: In the first paragraph, tell your legislator that you
are a constituent and identify the issue about which you are
writing. If your letter pertains to a specific piece of legislation,
it helps to identify it by its bill number (e.g. H.R. ____ or S.
_____).
Hit your three most important points:
Choose the three strongest points that will be most effective in
persuading legislators to support your position and flesh them out.
Personalize your letter: Tell your
elected official why this legislation matters in his or her
community or state. If you have one, include a personal story that
shows how this issue affects you and your family. A constituent's
personal stories can be the very persuasive as your legislator
shapes his or her position.
Personalize your relationship: Have
you ever voted for this elected official? Have you ever contributed
time or money to his or her campaign? Are you familiar with him or
her through any business or personal relationship? If so, tell your
elected official or his or her staff person. The closer your
legislator feels to you, the more powerful your argument is likely
to be.
You are the expert: Remember that
your legislator's job is to represent you. You should be courteous
and to the point, but don't be afraid to take a firm position.
Remember that often your elected official may know no more about a
given issue than you do.
 |
news center
volunteer