Letter, email, or phone?
A typed or hand-written letter carries the most weight with any recipient. However, letters are of limited use in rapid response situations.
E-mail is fast and cost-effective, suitable for swift action. However, it does require less commitment from the sender. Recipients, of course, have this in mind when they read e-mails.
Personalize to add more punch! A personalized subject line and thoughts added to the message show the intended recipient you’ve understood the issue and are expressing your concerns. Elected officials want to get re-elected, and they know that messages, even e-mails, express the opinions of people who participate in the political process and who vote.
Busy officials don’t always have time to read e-mail, but their aides (or even machines) scan the e-mails to determine who wrote each (constituents count more than non-constituents), what the subject is, and whether the writer is for or against. Then a report is prepared, tallying the numbers for and against the action that the e-mail called for. This report finally goes to the boss, or to a senior aide. If a large number of well written e-mails comes in, the official usually takes notice.
Make a call. If you can actually speak with the recipient, phone conversations offer fabulous opportunities for feedback from the recipient on how they view the issue.
Tips for writing a powerful letter:
- Keep it short. Limit your letter to one page and one issue.
- Identify yourself and the issue. In the first paragraph state who you are and what issue you are writing about.
- Focus on your main points. Choose the three strongest points to support your argument and explain them clearly.
- Make it personal. Tell your decision maker why the issue matters to you and how it affects you, your family, and your community. Make a connection to the elected official. Did you vote for her? Did you contribute to the campaign?
- Ask for a reply. Include your name and address on both your letter and envelope. Be polite and take a firm position in your letter. Be confident in your understanding of the issue and remember that the official may know less than you.
- Remember to go back and thank elected officials when they make a decision the way you want. This helps them realize that you are paying attention to what they do, and you will remember when it comes time to re-elect them.
- If you are writing to our Governor, include a cc at the bottom of your letter to our State Senator and State Representative. Then send them copies of what you wrote to the Governor. This lets the Governor know you are giving our State Senator and State Representative political backing to vote for or against whatever you want from the Governor.
Adapted from: “How to Make a Difference – Tips for Effective Activism” https://en.reset.org/act
carnegiedems.org 
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