Effectively Writing Your Legislator

This sample letter gives specific tips on writing a successful letter to your legislator regarding your chosen topic.  Each bolded entry is a part of the letter; the rest of the text provides information and tips regarding what should be included within the bolded section of the letter. 

Your address line: 

  • Include your name, address, and email 
  • If you are using letterhead already including this information, this can be removed. 

 

Date 

 

Legislator Address Line: 

  • Include the address of the Legislator 
  • Address the letter to the Honorable (Full Name) 

 

Greeting: 

  • Dear Representative (Last Name) 
  • Dear Senator (Last Name) 
  • Dear Mister/Madam (Title): For a chairman or Speaker of the House 

 

Body: 

Be concise. Keep your letter to one page if possible. 

  • Paragraph 1 
    • Clearly identify yourself as a constituent 
    • Identify the specific bill number you are addressing in the letter (i.e., HR111 or S222) 
    • Provide a short explanation as to why you are writing the letter of your personal connection to the issue 
  • Paragraph 2 
    • Provide a detailed explanation of the specific issue 
    • Include any relevant data or research supporting your argument or other information that may persuade the legislator to take action
  • Paragraph 3 
    • Ask or direct the legislator to take some sort of specific action (i.e., vote yes or no, co-sponsor a bill, contact the AASM) 
    • Thank the legislator for their support 
    • Ask the legislator to contact you with any questions or for follow up 
    • Direct the legislator to contact the AASM if this is an AASM-specific initiative 

Closing: 

Sincerely, 

Your Name 

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