Four Easy Ways to Contact Your Legislator

Christians are called to be advocates — to speak out against systemic injustices and to seek the removal of barriers that keep people poor, vulnerable, and powerless in this broken world. While advocacy can take many forms, contacting legislators is something that everyone can do. It's our duty as citizens and as Christians to make our own voices heard to our representatives and to "speak out for those who cannot speak…" (Prov 31:8-9). Legislators highly value the opinions of those they represent: they keep tallies of constituents' positions, and they can even be swayed by a single articulate, personal letter or email. Here are some simple guidelines about how to make contacting your representative easy and effective.

How to...
Call your Legislator
Write a Letter
Send an Email
Sign an Online Petition or Form Letter

Call Your Legislator

Calling is the fastest way to express your view to your representative—it only takes 3 minutes! If an issue is heating up and moving fast, calling is one of the best ways to make an impact. In Canada, enter your postal code in this online tool to find your MP's telephone number. In the US, to find your legislator's number, visit the House of Representatives or Senate websites, or call the Capitol Hill operator at (202) 224-3121 and ask for your legislator’s office.

Simple guidelines for making an effective call:

• Prepare what you want to say prior to your call. You should limit your remarks to about a paragraph of text.

• In Canada, ask to speak to the MP directly, but do not be surprised if you must speak to a member of her staff instead.

• In the US, you will speak to one of the legislator’s staff members. Ask to talk with the assistant responsible for your issue (e.g. foreign policy). If they are not available, you may leave a message with the receptionist or leave a voicemail.

• Identify yourself as a constituent. (E.g. "Hello, my name is John Smith, and I am a constituent from Anytown, postal code ___.")

• State the issue that you are calling about.  Include a bill number whenever possible (e.g. C-123 or S-123 in Canada; H.R.1234 or S.1234 in the US).

• State what you would like the legislator to do. Be specific and have a precise request. (e.g. I urge you to vote in favor of H.R. 1234.)  Briefly explain your position and reasoning in 1-3 sentences.  (e.g. "As a person of faith, I believe that…" or  "This bill is essential to my community because…")

• Ask for your legislator’s position on this issue. You may request that your legislator send you more information about his/her position in the mail.

• Be positive and courteous.  Thank the person who takes your call. 

  • Leave your name, address, and phone number.

Write a Letter

Writing a letter is your opportunity to give a well-reasoned argument that draws on personal experience in more detail than in a phone call. The number of letters a legislator receives on a particular issue often affects his or her position, but even one well-written, personalized letter from a constituent can be influential. Letters also have the advantage of providing a detailed, written record of your opinion. However, letters take several weeks to get to your legislator for security reasons, so they should not be used for an issue that is moving quickly. To avoid this delay, you can fax your letter directly to your legislator’s office using the fax number found on the House of Representatives or Senate websites, or you can try the easy-to-use web forms (see next section: "Send an Email"). In Canada, you can find your MP's fax number or email here.

Simple guidelines for writing an effective letter:

• Letters can be neatly hand-written or typed

• Use a formal business style. Use the proper address and salutation to begin your letter (e.g. Dear Senator/Representative [Last Name] in the US; Dear Mr./Ms. [Last name] in Canada).

• Identify yourself as a constituent and include your name and return address on the letter.

• State the problem in the first paragraph.  Include a bill number whenever possible (e.g., H.R.1234 or S.1234.)

• State what you would like the legislator to do in the first paragraph. Make your request for action as specific as possible (e.g. "I urge you to vote in favor of H.R. 1234.")

• Be informative. Explain why this issue is important. Elaborate your position and reasoning. If you are asking your legislator to oppose a bill or issue, explain why you prefer an alternative.

• Personalize your letter. Explain how the issue affects you, your family, church, or community. You can include how your experience and Christian faith shapes your concerns. When appropriate, mention your affiliation with the Christian Reformed Church.

• Be concise.  Express yourself clearly in one page or less. Only discuss one issue and limit yourself to a explaining a few key points.

• Restate your request (e.g. I urge you to vote in favor of H.R.1234) at the end if the letter is longer than a half page.

• Ask for a response. Ask for a commitment from your legislators on the issue, and request that they explain their position to you. If he or she sends you a response that is vague or does not directly say what the legislator has done about the issue, feel free to write again and politely ask for clarification.

• Thank the policymaker for devoting time to your issue and for past action.

  • Be courteous, even if you disagree with the legislator’s position.  Show your passion and politeness at the same time!

  • Follow Up! If the legislator acts on what you requested, write a thank you letter. If the response is vague or does not directly say what the legislator has done about the issue, feel free to write again and politely ask for clarification.

 Send an Email

Sending an email is an efficient way to communicate with legislators; in fact, many offices now prefer to receive communication electronically. Email also provides a means through which to makes sure your voice is heard right up until your legislator votes on an issue. You can locate your legislators’ email addresses or try their easy-to-use web forms by visiting the Senate and House websites. The same general guidelines apply for emails as for letters. 

Additional guidelines for sending an effective email:

• Nail the Subject Line. In the chance that your email is not opened, creating a clear subject line can still make an impact. The subject line should be the action you request in the email (e.g. "Vote YES on H.R. 1234").

• Include your street address in the email so that your legislator knows you are a constituent.

• Be brief. Email is a quick form of communication, so an email should be shorter than a letter. Keep your correspondence to a few paragraphs, and use bullet points or numbers when appropriate.

• Follow Up! Your legislator is likely to respond to your email. If he or she does what you requested, respond immediately to say thank you. If the response is vague or does not directly say what the legislator has done about the issue, feel free to write again and politely ask for clarification. Your persistence will show that you feel seriously about the issue, and that you expect your elected representatives also to take it seriously.

Sign an Online Petition or Form Letter

Many advocacy organizations promote online petitions or standardized form letters on their website. This is a quick and easy way to contact your representative — all you need to do is type your name and click "send." However, this is also the least effective way to influence your legislator. In fact, one hundred form letters can have a smaller impact than a single thoughtful, personal letter from a constituent.

Nevertheless, online petitions and form letters can be important components of an advocacy campaign as long as they are not a replacement for the other forms of advocacy.

Tips to make petitions and form letters more effective:

• Use a form letter or online petition if you know you are not going to call, write, or email about this issue.

• Sign an online petition or send a form letter in addition to sending letters, emails, or making phone calls.

• Personalize the form letter when organizations allow you to edit it. In just a couple of lines, you can stand out by showing your passion and illustrating how this issue impacts your district.

• Be concise when editing a form letter. Keep your messages to less than 1500 characters.

• Use the talking points and examples from petitions and form letters for ideas when you write a personalized letter or email.

• Email your friends and family about the petition or form letter to raise awareness about the issue. For those new to the issue, a signing a petition or form letter is an easy and empowering first step.