February 9, 2007

Staying in Contact with your Elected Officials 

Senator Paul Stanley

As I enter my seventh year in elected office, one of my primary goals is to maintain a high level of contact with those that I represent. When I talk with people during the campaign season or informally on the street, the one observation I notice is most citizens never contact their elected representatives to either voice concern or support for issues.

Many don’t know how to go about making contact or they believe their opinion does not matter. Every elected official, from school board members to the President have multiple ways to receive correspondence from citizens and most are shared with the office holder or high level staffers. With the rapid advances in technology, electronic communication is now the preferred method of use. In past years, letters were the most popular followed by phone calls and then faxes. Today I receive more emails than all others combined. Personally, I prefer email for the simple reason that I can view or respond any time of the day or evening. Regardless of your choice, the point I want to emphasize is the importance of making your views known. To help facilitate the process, allow me to provide some helpful tips on how to effectively communicate with your elected leaders.

First, any method is fine, just chose your favorite. My rule of thumb is if you write me a letter, I reply by letter. If you call me, I try and call you back within 48 hours. If you email me, I will reply by email. I believe whatever method you choose is probably your favorite or the most convenient, therefore, I respond accordingly.

Second, be brief and to the point but always try and give a reason for the position you are taking. Barring some exceptions, the longer the letter or message, the more difficult to respond. When we’re in session it is hard to read every comment if some are too long. It also helps to know why you feel the way you do.