Writing to a legislator is an effective method of influencing their perspectives on a variety of issues. It also allows you to build and maintain a relationship with your elected officials and express your opinion and standpoints on a variety of issues that are affecting you and your community. Additionally, if there is specific legislation that you would like to express your support or opposition for, or ask questions about, writing to your legislator would be a great way to do that. Legislators play an integral role in the politics and laws of the country and state you reside in. It is important that your voice is reflected in the laws and decisions that are implemented in your community.
Steps
-
Understand the role of federal legislators. Before you start writing to your legislators, it is important that you understand who represents you on the federal level. Here is a list of federal legislators:
- President of the United States -the head of the government of the United States, and the chief executive of the federal government).
- Vice President of the United States - the second-highest executive officer of the United States government and the first person in the presidential line of accession).
- U.S. Senators - the United States Senate is a part of Congress. Congress makes up the legislative branch of the government, which makes our laws. Each state sends two Senators to represent their state in the U.S. Senate.
- U.S. Representative - the U.S. House of Representatives is the second part of Congress. Each state's representation is based on its population. For example. California has 53 representatives, while Michigan has 14. These representatives represent separate districts in the state.
-
Understand the role of state legislators. Now that you have a better understanding of your federal representatives, it is important that you also understand who represents you on the state level. Here is a list of state legislators:
- Governor of State - the state's chief executive officer and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor also signs bills into law after it is passed by the state legislature.
- Lieutenant Governor of State - serves a similar role as the Vice President by assisting the Governor in carrying out constitutional duties.
- State Senator - as a member of a state senate, a state senator's job is to represent people at a higher level by implementing and voting on laws. State Senators represent individual districts.
- State Representative - representatives that listen to the concerns of their constituents (people who legislators have been elected to represent) and advocate on their behalf. As legislators, they also develop legislation and solutions to address the needs of their district.
Advertisement -
Identify your legislators. In order to write to a legislator, it’s important to know exactly who represents you. Search the Internet for websites that have a ‘Find Your Representatives’ resource to identify the legislators that represent you. Some may require you to input information such as your home address, and then you will be able to scroll through the name, title, contact number, website, and social media accounts of both your federal and state legislators. One example is https://www.commoncause.org/find-your-representative/ .
-
Learn more about your legislators/representatives. You can do this from the websites described above. If you can, access the legislator’s website, find out what district they represent, the issues they advocate for, and other important information about them.
- You can also find the various committees that your legislator is a part of. Committees are small groups of legislators that closely examine affairs. Since legislators cannot serve as experts on all issues, committees exist to allow legislators to focus on particular subjects and matters. For example, the Committee on the Budget is responsible for creating Congress's annual budget plan.
- Additionally, some sites that you research to find your representatives will also allow you to view the bills/legislation that was introduced by your legislator since the beginning of their term. You can also find bills that your representative introduced on https://www.congress.gov , by selecting the “all legislation” option and entering the representative’s name in the search bar.
-
5Format the letter properly. If you are writing to a legislator as a part of an organization, business, or group, include a logo in the header. Include the date that the letter was written at the top of the letter, ideally on the left side of the page. Underneath the date (or as a header, if you prefer) add 2-3 spaces and type:
- Your name
- Your full address
- Your email
- Your phone number
-
6Address the legislator properly. The salutation should include "Dear Representative *insert the last name*" or "Dear Senator *insert the last name*". The legislator should be addressed depending on the office they hold. Underneath your personal information, add 1-2 spaces and include information about the legislator:
- The Honorable *insert full name*
- United States House of Representatives/United States Senate/Office of the Governor/etc.
- Office Full Address
-
7Keep it brief and formal. It's important that your letter does not exceed one page, and it should be limited to one particular issue. Legislative aides are required to read several letters in a day, so it's best to keep your letter is concise. Additionally, be sure to keep the tone formal and informative.
-
8Identify yourself. Begin your letter with a greeting and an introduction of who you are. If you are a part of an organization, business, etc. make sure to include that in this piece. If you are a constituent, it is important that you include that information in your introduction.
-
9Get to the point. Your introduction should be followed by a brief statement that indicates your concern or purpose for writing. As mentioned in the introduction, constituents or organizations often write to legislators to express their concerns about a certain issue or their support or opposition for a specific bill. Make sure that you identify your issue in your opening paragraph.
- If your letter includes a reference to a specific bill, be sure to include the name and number of the legislation. Bills usually start with “H.R.”, “S.”, or “S.RES.” and are followed by a set of numbers. For example, "I urge your support for H.R. *insert bill number here*, *insert name of legislation here*."
- Include a brief sentence specifying the purpose of the bill in your introduction paragraph, or in the following paragraph.
-
Support your argument. When writing a letter, it is common to request that the legislator take action on the issue that you are writing about. Either way, you must support your argument.
- Following your opening paragraph, briefly explain why you support or oppose the specific bill or issue. In this section, your arguments can include facts or concise research about how the bill or issue affects you, your community, children, families, schools, students, etc. in the district. Focus on the three most important points that will persuade legislators to support your position.
- Make it personal. If you have a personal story that demonstrates how this issue affects you, include it in your letter. Be sure to tell your elected official why this legislation or issue is significant to you and other constituents. Use your knowledge and personal experiences to inform the legislator of your stance. This section can be 1-2 paragraphs.
-
11Have a strong closing. Recap the main points that you mentioned in the letter, and highlight specific action that you want the legislator to take. Keep this section concise, but be clear. If you are asking that your legislator co-sponsor a bill, or learn more about an issue or legislation, be sure to include that in your conclusion. If you are interested in receiving a response, make sure to include that in this section as well. Finally, include an appreciative statement to close your letter. An example of this is “Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I am hoping to hear from you soon.”
-
12Include your signage. At the end of the letter, type or write your full name and title. If you are not a part of a group or organization, you can include “constituent of *insert district*” or simply include your full name. If you would like to add a signature, place it above your printed name.
-
Send your letter. You can mail the letter to the legislator. Legislators usually have one or more offices. If you go on their website, and scroll to the bottom of the page, you should be able to find their mailing address. Print the letter (unless it’s handwritten), put it in an envelope, write your home address and the legislator’s mailing address on the envelope, put a stamp on it, and send it out!
- The other option is to email the letter to the legislator. If you go on the legislator’s website, there will be a “contact” option either at the top of the page or the bottom. You will then have the option to include your name, address, message, and click submit. All of the steps presented in this article still apply to writing an emailed letter to a legislator.
Advertisement
Expert Q&A
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
Advertisement
References
- http://www.nea.org/home/19657.htm
- https://www.aclu.org/writing-your-elected-representatives
- https://www.ncra.org/home/get-involved/advocacy/Grassroots-Lobbying/Writing-Effective-Letters-to-Your-Legislators
- https://www.avma.org/advocacy/advocacy-tools/tips-effective-letter-writing-state-legislators-and-other-officials
About this article
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 5,762 times.
Reader Success Stories
- "Your guide to prepare a letter to the legislator was so helpful and a great and easy outline to follow. Thanks."
Advertisement
100%
of readers found this article helpful
.
Click a star to add your vote
% of people told us that this article helped them.
"Your guide to prepare a letter to the legislator was so helpful and a great and easy outline to follow. Thanks."
