Contacting a legislator is the most direct way that you can make your opinion on an issue known to those who have power to support or reject policies. We have compiled a guide to answer some frequently asked questions about the process to help you start the process of writing a letter to a legislator:
Q: Why is letter writing important?
When informed about district-specific constituents’ beliefs, research has found that legislators are more likely to vote in line with those opinions over those who are not aware of public opinion. Expressing your opinions and supporting them with fact might help sway a representative, especially if many express a similar opinion. Since social workers are skilled in critically examining oppressive systems in our society and work directly with those negatively impacted by these systems, sharing this knowledge and experience can be incredibly useful to demonstrate to a legislator the impacts that policies could have.
Q: Will the person I write to read my letter or email?
Most elected officials, especially at the state and federal levels, have staffers, aides, and interns helping them track the mail, emails, and phone calls they receive. Even if the legislator does not personally get to read your letter, a hired staffer will. Depending on the circumstances, some messages are personally shared with the legislator. However, most end up included within a summary of emails and letters that are received are collected by aides and staffers during issue briefings and before important votes. Without this information, the legislator might not otherwise know the opinions of the voters that live in their particular district/jurisdiction.
Q: Do I have to have to send a physical letter to my representative or can I email them instead?
You can send an email! Most representatives at the federal level, including governors, senators, representatives, do not include their personal email addresses to contact them at, but they do have forms on their website where you can input your message. Sending an email through their website form ensures that your message reaches the right office. You can find the form by navigating to the elected official’s website or use our search tool to find a direct link. Elected legislators at the local level might provide an email instead of a contact form. There are some cons about reaching out using an electronic contact method, including that there are many more emails sent than letters which risks the chances of the email not being seen in a timely fashion. However, this is an effective route to take when there is an upcoming deadline or manner being voted on that you want to express your opinion on. Since it is all electronic, it can be sent much more quickly than a physical letter!
Q: Can’t I just use social media?
Social media is a great way to share your opinion quickly and with anyone who can see your message that you post. However, social media posts are also subject to algorithms, can be hidden behind privacy filters, or be buried among the billions of other posts that are made by others worldwide. This may delay or prevent a representative (or their staffers or interns who run their social media campaigns) in seeing your message or counting it within the data they present to the elected official. Emails can be subject to this same barriers, however, email can be more effective to use when a deadline or important legislation date is approaching since letters take longer to receive. It’s ultimately up to you on what method you use, just as long as you get active!
Q: I don’t know who my legislators are. Where can I find who to write to?
AdvanceSocialJustice provides a “Find My Legislator” tool that provides addresses, phone numbers, websites, and links to email contact forms for elected state and local representatives. You can access this tool by navigating here: http://www.advancesocialjustice.net/find-your-legislator
Q: Where do I find out more information about specific legislation to include in my letter?
To track legislation passed or track progress on a federal bill, you can use the search tool on the United State Congress website. You can search by specific bill title or by any keywords you wish to search for. You can access this tool here: https://www.congress.gov/
To find out more information about your specific state’s upcoming legislation or track progress on bills, Congress.gov provides a directory of state legislature websites. You can find that website here: https://www.congress.gov/state-legislature-websites.
Q: How do I address the elected official that I am writing to? Since you are writing to try to influence an individual to support your cause or change their opinion, you will want to make sure that you are being as respectful as possible, starting with using proper salutation. Here is a list of proper forms of address to use, adapted from the guide created by the Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest:
Q: How can I write an effective letter?
Writing a letter can seem like a daunting task. We created a guide for writing effective letters as well as letter templates to help you get started. Check it out here! :
Sources: Bergan, D. E. & Cole, R. T. (2015). Call your legislator: A field experimental study of the impact of a constituency mobilization campaign on legislative voting. Political Behavior, 37(1), 27-42. Butler, D. M. & Nickerson, D.W. (2011). Can learning constituency opinion affect how legislators vote? Results from a field experiment. Quarterly Journal of Political Sciences, 6(1), 55-83. Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest. (2007). Writing a letter to your legislator. Center for Lobby in the Public Interest. www.CLPI.org Hertel-Fernandez, A., Mildenberger, M., & Stokes, L. C. (2019) Legislative staff and representation in congress. American Political Science Review, 113(1), 1-18. Library of Congress. (n.d.). Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://www.congress.gov/