GOAL Legislative Advocacy

Emailing Your Legislators

Email can be an effective way to communicate with your elected officials — when the message is personal, concise and clear. Your goal is not to write a research paper. Your goal is to make sure the legislator understands who you are, what issue matters to you and what action you are asking them to take.

Your Email Should Sound Like You

Legislative offices receive a large volume of email. A message written in your own words can quickly tell the office that you are a constituent with a genuine concern.

You do not have to be an attorney, policy expert or professional advocate. A short personal explanation of why an issue matters to you can be more useful than pages of technical information.

Personal beats complicated.

Identify yourself, identify the issue, explain why it matters and ask for a specific action. Keep the message focused.

Find Your Massachusetts Legislators

Use the Massachusetts Legislature's official Find My Legislator tool to identify your State Representative and State Senator and locate their contact information.

FIND MY LEGISLATORS

Skip the mass-produced message when you can.

Generic form emails can make it harder for your individual story and concerns to stand out. Use action alerts to learn about an issue, but whenever possible take a few extra minutes to write a short message in your own words.

Six Keys to an Effective Legislative Email

Make it easy for the legislative office to understand your message.

Use a Clear Subject Line

Tell the office what the email is about before they even open it. Include the bill number when appropriate.

Identify Yourself

Tell the office your name and that you are a constituent. Include your city or town.

Identify the Issue

Use the bill number, title or subject so there is no confusion about why you are contacting the office.

Make One Clear Ask

Tell the legislator exactly what you are requesting: support, oppose, amend or take another specific action.

Make It Personal

Explain in a few sentences how the proposal affects you, your family, your business or your community.

Request a Response

Ask the legislator to tell you their position and what action they intend to take.

Start With a Useful Subject Line

The subject line should tell the office exactly what your message is about.

Good Examples

Constituent Request Regarding H.____

Please Oppose S.____

Please Support H.____

Question Regarding Firearm Legislation

Constituent Request — Please Respond

Keep It Simple

Avoid vague subject lines such as:

Important
Please Read
Urgent!!!
You Need to Fix This
Gun Laws

A specific subject line makes it easier for staff to understand, categorize and route your message.

A Simple Email Formula

Most legislative emails can be handled in five short parts.

1. Introduce

Give your name, tell them you are a constituent and identify your city or town.

2. Identify

Identify the bill number or issue you are contacting them about.

3. Ask

Clearly state the action you want the legislator to take.

4. Explain

Briefly explain why the issue matters to you. Use your own experience whenever possible.

5. Close

Ask for the legislator's position, request a response and thank the office for its time.

Sample Email

Use this as a framework, not as a form letter. Replace the placeholders and make the message sound like you.

EXAMPLE

Short, personal and specific.

Subject: Constituent Request Regarding [BILL NUMBER]

Dear Representative / Senator [LAST NAME] ,

My name is [YOUR NAME] , and I live in [CITY/TOWN]. I am one of your constituents.

I am writing regarding [BILL NUMBER / ISSUE] , and I am asking you to [SUPPORT / OPPOSE / AMEND / TAKE SPECIFIC ACTION].

This issue matters to me because [BRIEFLY EXPLAIN YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, CONCERN OR HOW THE PROPOSAL WOULD AFFECT YOU].

For these reasons, I respectfully ask you to [REPEAT YOUR REQUEST]. I would appreciate knowing your position on this issue and what action you intend to take.

Thank you for your time and for representing our district.

Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
[CITY/TOWN]
[OPTIONAL PHONE NUMBER]

Before You Hit Send

✓ Good Practices

Use your own words.
Identify yourself as a constituent.
Use a useful subject line.
Include the bill number when available.
Focus on one main issue.
Keep the email relatively short.
Use a personal example.
Clearly request an action.
Ask for a response.
Proofread before sending.

Things to Avoid

Threats or abusive language.
Personal attacks.
Writing in all capital letters.
Overusing exclamation points.
Long copied talking points.
Addressing several unrelated bills in one email.
Sending claims you cannot verify.
Attaching unnecessary large files.
Assuming staff will understand unexplained abbreviations.

Your Email May Be Read by Legislative Staff First

That is normal. Legislative aides regularly review constituent correspondence, work on policy issues and communicate information to legislators. Write your email so that the person reading it can quickly identify who you are, the issue involved and the action you are requesting.

Following Up

You don't need to repeatedly send the same email, but reasonable follow-up can be useful.

After You Send Your Message

Keep a copy of the email you sent.
Make a note of the date you contacted the office.
If the office responds, read the response carefully and keep it for your records.
If you asked a specific question and did not receive a response, consider a polite follow-up email or telephone call.
If the legislator takes an action you support, consider sending a short thank-you message.
If circumstances change — such as a bill being amended or scheduled for action — send a new message addressing the new development rather than simply resending the old email.

Make Your Email Count.

You do not have to write a long or complicated message. Be personal. Be concise. Be specific. Make sure your legislators know who you are, why the issue matters and what you are asking them to do.