The 64th legislative assembly officially began on January 6, 2015. As the session proceeds, we encourage you to get involved. If there is a bill you are passionate about, don’t be afraid to send an e-mail to a legislator.
E-mail is a quick way to communicate with your legislators. It is important to be careful with the form and structure of your e-mail. Don’t be careless with your spellings and formality just because you are communicating through e-mail. You are still making an impression and you want it to be credible.
Here are 12 tips to writing an e-mail to your legislator:
- Put your name and address at the top of your message to show you are a constituent.
- Use the correct title for your legislator.
Make your message personal by sharing your experiences, feelings, and beliefs about your specific issue. This information humanizes the issue and illustrates potential impacts.- Be brief and share only the strongest points regarding your issue. Limit these points to two or three short paragraphs
- State your request plainly. Example: I would like your support on (name issue).
- Send your message when the legislation is being considered. Timing is everything.
- Be respectful in your e-mail. Don’t use threats or be argumentative in your e-mail.
- Don’t send attachments. Offer to send support information if it is requested.
- Don’t become Spam. Don’t send repeated e-mails every day. Your message will be lost and your credibility damaged.
- Don’t send a copy of your message to everyone in Congress. Send it only to your legislator.
- Proofread your e-mail make sure your grammar and spelling is correct.
- Thank your legislator for reading the e-mail and ask for a response and commitment.