Basic Letter Writing Tips

Handwritten or typed personal letters are the most effective.

If you communicate by email, be sure to include your full name and postal mailing address and, again, make the letter your own (as opposed to signing onto a form letter message).

Be aware that national legislators rarely read their email; if you send one to D.C., try to direct it to the legislative assistant who handles the issue area you are interested in. You can also fax your letters to DC or district offices. [Note: recent security measures mean that letters take weeks to reach a legislator – fax, email, or phone calls are now best; again, fax / email messages work best if directed to a legislative aide with oversight of the issue area.]

Be brief. A one-page letter is best, and limit your topics to one or two (related, if at all possible) concerns.

Say something nice. Thank the legislator for favorable action and / or mention an area of agreement.

Identify the issue or bill number that you are concerned about. Or cite the name(s) of its sponsor and summarize what the bill is about.

Explain your position. Make the letter personal – explain how your own experience, observations, and faith beliefs shape your concern about this issue. Keep your tone friendly and polite, even if you disagree with the legislator’s position. Offer to be a source of information, if you have expertise on the topic.

Ask the legislator how he/she plans to vote. In your letter, ask for a response to your concerns or questions.

Remember to include your mailing address so the legislator’s office can reply.

Follow-up on the legislator’s reply. Write back, especially if you’ve received a “form letter” reply that doesn’t address all of your concerns or answer your questions about the legislator’s position. Remember to thank the legislator for his/her response.

Prepared by Kim Winchell, DM (Oct. 2005)