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Telephone
Calls
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Be
timely. Make sure the public official receives the call before
the proposed action (like a key vote).
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Be
prepared - rehearse what you want to say.
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Be
concise and to the point.
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Talk
about only one issue per call.
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Often
all you need to say is "Please support/oppose House Bill 1000
because...."
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If
you can't say what you want in a couple minutes, write an email or
letter instead.
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If
you are calling a public official with a large staff, ask to speak
to the assistant that handles your particular issue or bill topic,
and remember his or her name.
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Take
notes on what is said during the conversation.
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At
the end of the call, ask for a commitment. If one cannot be
given, ask to be notified when an answer on the course of action is
determined.
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To
help foster an on-going relationship, you might want to follow up
your phone call with a short note reiterating what you talked about.
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If
the public official is not available, leave a one-sentence message
describing the action you would like him or her to take.
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No
matter where the discussion leads, remember to always be respectful
and cordial. While you may disagree on the current issue, the
relationship you are building may result in positive action in the
future.
Letters
& Emails
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Only
write a letter to be sent by regular mail if you are sure it will
reach the destination in time. Remember that while the actual
delivery may only take a couple days, the public official or
assistant may not receive it or review it for several more days.
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Keep
the length of the letter to one page, and an email to one
screen length or shorter.
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Write
about only one issue per letter or email.
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If
possible, try not to use a form letter. While it is okay to
pass along an action alert using similar language, remember to
personalize it with your contact information, letterhead, or other
identifying information. Provide a short, one-sentence
statement about yourself and why the proposed action is of interest
to you.
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IMPORTANT:
When sending an email, do not just forward the action alert that you
received to the public official. Make sure you copy and paste
the language into a new email. Also make sure the
"subject" does not contain an "RE:" or
"FWD." ( When an action alert is passed between many
network members, there may be multiple "FWD"s in the
subject heading, and multiple copies of the action alert within the
email. It is very impersonal to receive an email like this
from a constituent.)
In-person
Visits
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Face-to-face
visits are the best way to voice your position to a public
official. However, they are often the most difficult to set
up, especially during legislative session.
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Call
to schedule the meeting at least a week in advance for state
officials, and 2-3 weeks in advance for national officials.
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If
the legislator is unable to meet with you, but a staff member is,
take advantage of the opportunity. Staff members, especially
if they are sympathetic to your position, can be influential
supporters of your cause, since public officials rely heavily on
staff.
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If
you have a group of individuals interested in attending the meeting,
you may have a better chance of getting the meeting scheduled.
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Be
prepared for the meeting. Plan what you will say and rehearse
it.
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At
the meeting, be sure to thank them for taking the time to meet with
you. Reference specific legislation or other action, state
your position, why it is good public policy, and how it affects the
people you are representing.
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Be
responsive to questions, but if you don't know the answer, say so,
and that you will get to him or her. And then be sure that you
do.
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After
the meeting, send a thank-you note reiterating what was discussed in
the meeting.
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