Phone calls, emails, and handwritten letters are all effective ways to communicate with your elected officials at local, state, and federal levels.

Here are some tips to consider when making your phone calls or writing your correspondence:

1. Find contact information - Locate your federal, state, and local elected officials at https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials. 
   

2. Be original - Thoughtfully communicated, original correspondence from constituents often has greater impact with legislators than does a script provided by an organization that constituents simply sign or read. 
   

3. Customize it - Edit any scripted talking points to fit your local context and your personal experiences.
   

4. Be concise - Consider making no more than three main points. Select your strongest points and stick with them.
   

5. Get personal - Remember to include why it is important to you. Share a personal reason that motivated you to call or email. 
   

6. Include your contact information - Your address will confirm that you are a constituent and contact information will provide your representative with the opportunity to respond to you, though they are busy people and are not always able to respond to every person who contacts them.

Here are some sample scripts you can use to contact your elected officials.