Your voice makes a difference. Here is how to leverage it.
Want to make a positive difference in your community, but aren’t sure where to start? Emailing your legislators is a way to make your voice heard, no matter what your schedule is.
Your lawmaker won’t know your story, how an issue hurts or helps your community, or how you feel unless you tell them.
There are many options for how you can get involved beyond emailing a lawmaker. You can attend a city council meeting, join a lobby day at the state capitol, or call a politician’s office.
If you decide to put your thoughts into writing, you need to start by deciding who to address your message to.
Step one: Find who represents you
There are multiple levels of government that control what happens in your community, where money is spent, and how you are taxed. There are local, state, and national elected officials, who all make different decisions. If you want a crosswalk on your street, for example, you’ll want to contact your local mayor, city councilor, or alder. If you think Connecticut needs more money for state housing programs, then you would want to write to your state legislators or governor.
Your representatives include, but are not limited to:
You can find your national and state representatives online. Check your town’s website to learn more about your mayor, city council members or alders, and school board members. You can also find who serves on your town’s committees if you want to get involved in issues like zoning, police oversight, fair rental rates, and more.
There are also state legislative committees on different topics like education, justice, and housing that hold public hearings during the legislative session. You can share your thoughts on different proposed laws by submitting public testimony online or showing up in person. Keep an eye on hearing dates so you can share your voice at the best time.
Many issues will overlap. Reaching out to the right people will increase your chances of making a difference, because that person will have the power to influence change.
Step two: Tell your story
Start your email by addressing the elected official by name (like, Dear Representative Smith). Next, mention whether you are their constituent (if you are writing to someone who represents you). Make sure your subject line includes what you hope for them to do (like, “Support child care funding,” or “Oppose cuts to SNAP).
In your email body, make a clear call to action. This means asking them to do something – to support or oppose a proposal, to vote for or against a bill or resolution, or something else.
The strongest emails to elected officials make a personal connection. This means telling your elected official who you are, how you are connected to an issue, and how the issue or proposal hurts or helps you.
You can include any facts or statistics that support your argument, and your stories about your personal experiences will always be the most powerful. You might have a perspective they haven’t considered. It’s important to share your thoughts so your lawmaker knows how an issue or proposed law hurts or helps you. A personal story can drive home that these are real concerns that affect people like you.
End your email by repeating your call to action. Sign with your name and contact information, so they can follow up or respond to you.
Step three: Keep pushing for change
You may get a response. Sometimes this will be a generic form letter thanking you for writing. Sometimes, it might be a heartfelt answer.
There are many ways you can continue to use your voice to push for the causes that matter to you. You can attend city council meetings, join a committee, go to the state capitol to join us for a lobby day, or run for office. You can join a community organization, like The Connecticut Project, to get connected with the issues you care about.
Keep an eye on our Action Center for the latest way to get involved, and join us in the fight for a more affordable Connecticut by learning more about your community chapter, signing up for our newsletter list, and following us on social media.