Contacting representatives in Congress is one of the most important things a citizen can do to be heard. Some people assume that representatives do not pay much attention to the opinions of their constituents, but this belief is wrong. Because representatives are elected to reflect the district’s or state’s opinions, they are attentive to constituent voices when contacted. Reaching out is key and lets representatives know what their constituents think about certain issues.

Without constituent initiative, opinions can go unheard. Thankfully, contacting representatives has never been easier, both by email or by writing a letter. Here is how:

Emailing

The easiest way to contact representatives is through email. Finding the correct email address is the hardest part of this process.

First, search for your representatives’ names. Visit the following website to search for a representative in the U.S. House of Representatives by zip code: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/.

To find a representative by his or her name, or to search by state, visit this website: http://www.house.gov/representatives/.

Conduct the same search for your representatives in the U.S. Senate by visiting the following website: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.

Upon finding the names of the representatives, visit their individual websites. Once there, find the “Contact” section of the website, where there is usually an automated email option. This is the official way to contact your representatives as this ensures the email is sent to the correct alias.

Another great, efficient way to write to Congress is through The Borgen Project website. In the “Act Now” portion of the website, click on the “Email Congress” link. After choosing the issue to be supported, enter all the necessary information to find your representatives in Congress. Once the representatives are located and selected, the representative(s) will receive an email with the simple click of a button!

Writing a Letter

Using the representatives’ websites, locate the postal addresses listed for their offices under the “Contact” section of each individual website. Many representatives have an office located in their district along with an office in Washington D.C. Both offices are receptive to constituent letters.

– Erik Nelson

Sources: U.S.A.gov, United States House of Representatives, United States Senate, The Borgen Project
Photo: Impowerable