It makes a difference open_in_new and is your constitutional right.
of the people who represent you on the federal, state, and local levels.¹
Contact the president of the United States of America open_in_new.
Get contact information for USA senators open_in_new.
Find website and contact information for USA house representatives open_in_new.
Get in touch with state or territorial governors open_in_new.
Find the names and current activities of state or territorial legislators open_in_new.
Search for mayors open_in_new by name, city, or population size.
Note: This search is largely inept. I'll soon add a better option.
Find a county executive open_in_new (the head of a county’s executive branch of government) by map search or ZIP code. The county executive may be an elected or an appointed position.
Get contact information for city, county, and town officials open_in_new.
Based on a mix of my personal experience and some smart staffers' advice.2, 3 Calling tends to be most effective open_in_new, though emailing or writing a letter is far better than nothing.
Contact only your officials
You can get their contact info above.
As a USA resident, you have
It's tempting to also call officials outside of your district, but that will hurt your cause open_in_new. Instead, ask your elected official to speak with their colleagues about an issue.
Call regardless of your official's party
If you're in the same party, it doesn't necessarily mean they're on the same side of an issue.
If you're in different parties, you're still their potential future voter, and you might offer a story/perspective they've never heard.
With a request, praise, critique
Positive reinforcement can work as well as demanding accountability. Common ground and appreciation often make someone more open to your request or critique.
Write a script
Bullets, paragraphs, or whatever is easiest to read while you speak. Perhaps share your script with friends and fellow constituents, to encourage their calls. TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK. sentiment_excited
Template & example ³
Template:Nervous? Remember...
They work for you: You pay them with your taxes and hire or fire them with your vote. You have every right to check in on your public servants and expect their accountability.
You will likely get a staffer or voicemailbox: These are people who field calls all day, and are generally ready to help answer any of your questions. (They've probably already heard a lot of shouting today, so, assertive kindness, politeness, and brevity helps.)
Contacts help: Even if you miss key points from these tips, you're still helping by calling at all; you're adding to the tally of calls for or against an issue.
Still nervous? Try another method: If you need, you can avoid speaking directly to a person by calling after business hours to leave a voicemail. Or, send an email/letter.
If you get their voicemailbox, please leave a message with the same info:
Identify yourself as their constituent
"Hello, my name is [your name] and I am a constituent living in [your ZIP code, city, state]."
If you're part of a political group, mention that you're a member.
One issue per call
If you have multiple issues to address, make multiple calls, devoting each one to a single issue.
Ask to speak to the staffer who handles the issue
Immigration, health care, economy, etc.
Be specific about the issue: what, why, & how
Just saying, "You need to do something about ______ ." doesn't give them much to go on. Tell them politely, firmly, and precisely:
What the issue is: Be concise; use your script. What is the bill number, policy, etc.? Do you know your rep's current position to respond to?
Why the issue is important to you: Your position, reasons, story, evidence, etc. Explaining how the issue affects you or someone you know can be powerful.
How you want them to address it: How you want them to vote, react, what you want them to say publicly or to their colleagues, etc.
Take notes
Try to get direct quotes; anything discussed is public information that can be shared. You can compare these with other calling constituents to see if the office is giving conflicting info.
Request their action / response
Whether it's their contact back (remember to leave your contact info if so), or something you can follow up on, like their public statement or vote. Even a timeline when they'll be addressing the issue.
This way, you'll know whether they've followed through (and when to call back with your follow up).
Reward yourself with a cup of hot chocolate. Then, consider ways to encourage others to join; contacts mean much more collectively than invidually. ⁴
Post about it on social media
Explain why you made the call, and your experience with the office.
Invite your friends to make similar calls.
Tag your elected officials.
Ask others to join
Reach out directly to like-minded folks, with a clear, specific ask for them to make similar calls.
Also reach out to a few people whom you have never talked politics with before: Explain why you made the call and why the issue is so important to you. Invite them to join your action.
Perhaps form a quick contact list of sympathetic folks, so you can let them know to join you when you make future calls.
Follow up
See that your officials follow through on your request within the expected timeline.
Then, call them back to:
Confirm when they'll be acting, if they haven't yet.
Thank them for fulfilling your request, if they have.
Ask them why they didn't, if they didn't.