UTAH LEGISLATIVE HUB

Every time you contact an elected official, it is an opportunity to build a relationship with them. You may not agree with your legislator, but every elected official is still a person and will respond better to you if you don’t call them names or use offensive language. Remember your goal in reaching out to them in the first place. Approaching reps with civility, respect, and trustworthy information will get you farther faster and will leave the door open for future communications.

• Revise form letters and subject headers or – better yet – write your own letter for FAR greater impact.
• Briefly share your unique perspective on the issue you are reaching out about. Why do you care enough to reach out?
• Don’t forget to add a greeting and to sign your emails and letters, as you would in a business or personal email.

• State legislators are in meetings throughout their long legislative days and are often unable to answer the phone.
• Legislators receive thousands of emails, so be sure to make sure your email gets right to the point, starting in the subject line. An example email subject might be: “Please vote NO on HB 93: Judicial Nomination Amendments.”
• Include any credible data, helpful resources, or personal stories to help make your point.
• Emails can be a couple of sentences or a couple of paragraphs. Any longer, and it likely won’t get read.

You can even include the word “constituent” in your email header, so your elected official knows right away that you live in their district. Include your name and full address with zip code in both written communications and voicemails. Elected officials want to know if they represent you and will often prioritize communication with you if they know they represent you.