Engaging your Elected Officials
Communicating with Your Representatives
Find Your Elected Officials
First step: find out who represents you. Visit our Legislative Resources page to do this.
Call Them!
While representatives vary in how they approach constituent communications, phone calls are always going to be your best bet. Representatives receive thousands of emails and letters a week, and will often group them together for form responses. When calling, you will reach a live person – typically a staffer – who will take down your comments and tally responses for the representative.
Attend Town Hall Meetings, Office Hours, and Public Meetings
Sometimes respectful face to face communication is the best way to communicate with your elected officials.
Engage Them on Social Media
A report from the Congressional Management Foundation indicates that as few as 10 social media posts to an elected official is enough to catch their office’s attention. Social media usage varies member to member so check out their social media pages and see whether their Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram is the best place to be an activist.
Engage in Local Media
There is nothing that members hate more than negative press, whether local or national. Use the power of the press and write letters to the editor and/or opinion editorials in your local and regional papers, naming, shaming, or praising your elected officials for the stances that they take.
Tools for Effective Communication
- Indivisible Guide – this resource was created by former Congressional staffers, and provides resources on how to most effectively engage with your elected official’s offices.
- Echo Through the Fog – this is a great guide when it comes to calling your elected officials when you suffer from social anxiety
- Tips on Meeting with Your Elected Officials – this resource goes over how to request meetings, prepare for meetings, what to say during meetings, and after meetings with elected officials
- NCCASA Advocacy Toolkit – this resource goes over advocacy specific to North Carolina
Check it out!
2019-2020 Legislative Agenda
See what NCCASA is making a priority and the proposed legislation to make our agenda happen.