Calling Your Legislator

When time is short, calling your legislator is a simple and effective way of making sure your concerns are heard. A quick call that gets right to the point in a courteous manner is an easy and good strategy for weighing-in on issues that matter to you.

Following are some tips for calling your legislator:

Identify yourself as a constituent. Constituent phone calls carry the most weight with legislators.
Don't expect to talk to the legislator directly. Most calls are taken by the staff person responsible for a particular issue.
State the reasons you are calling and the action you want your legislator to take. Keep it simple. Give a brief description of the bill and bill number if possible. You may find it helpful to have a couple of talking points in front of you to help you stay focused and make sure you don't forget anything.
Be concise. Keep your call focused on one issue with two or three key points supporting the issue. The call should be brief - usually only a couple of minutes.
Always be courteous! Never threaten or use abusive language.
Request follow-up. Leave your name and contact information with the staff person in case they have any questions or wish to follow-up with you later. Ask to receive a letter acknowledging your call and informing you of your legislator's action/position on the issue.

Finding Your Legislator

Use our Locate My Legislator tool to find your legislator's contact information. It's easy to use and will provide all the information you need.