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.