Letters, emails, and faxes are effective ways to communicate with your elected officials.  Below are some tips on contacting and communicating with your elected officials.

1. Be Original and Brief.  Legislators consider a thoughtful, original letter from a constituent worth 1000 of the pre-written letters.  Stay Brief. The maximum length of a letter/email should be 1 page.  In keeping your correspondence short, consider making no more than three main points.  Be Respectful.  The easiest way not to have your letter read is to be disrespectful.  Taking a firm position on an issue is fine.  Do not use profanity.  Even if your legislator is not the person you voted for, remember to be respectful.
2. State Who You Are and What You are Writing About. Identify yourself as a constituent and state why you are writing in the first paragraphh. If you know the House or Senate Bill by name or bill number, state it in the first paragraph as well.
3. Personalize Your Letter/Email . Write a brief personal story about what the legislation will/will not do for you and/or your community.
4. Include Your Address With Your Signature, Even in Email.  Legislators are busy people and you should also never demand a response.  However some legislators will take the time to write back.  Including your address also affirms the fact that you are constituent.
5. Proper Address.  Below are the ways to address your letters.

Dear Representative (Name):

Dear Senator (Name):

Dear Commissioner (Name):

6. Follow Up.  After you have contacted your elected officials, follow up on what they did.  If they voted the way you wanted, consider contacting them to thank them.  If your legislators did not vote the way you wanted, consider contacting them and respectfully express your disappointment.  In any follow-up letter/email, mention the fact that you wrote them before the vote was taken.