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Calling Elected Officials
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It's important to call even when you think they agree with you:  The opposition is undoubtedly inundating your legislator’s office with phone calls on any given issue, so it’s crucial that we balance that out.

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It applies pressure when pressure is necessary and lets them know constituents are paying attention.

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It supports the elected in doing the right thing, and it's always important to include a thank you whenever they take a public stand or author a bill in support of an issue.

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Did you know that calls on any given issue are tallied?  Those numbers can be an important indicator about where voters stand on a particular issue, and provide evidence of voter support when your legislator is debating the issue with colleagues.

 

Calling Tips: 

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  1. Always be polite and respectful.

  2. Use a script if it makes you more comfortable.  

  3. If calling makes you anxious, you can leave a voicemail after hours, or email. Email is not as effective as calling, but it's better that not making yourself heard at all!

  4. You will not be asked questions, you will not have to defend a position. 

  5. Keep it short, be specific, and ask questions if you have them.  (Sometimes staffers aren't always knowledgeable, but often you can get good info.)

  6. Make a connection.  If you have a personal story about an issue, tell it!

  7. If you have all of your electeds’ office phone numbers in your phone, it will make calling very fast. When you call, if you don't get through to a person: leave a message or speed dial a different office number. 

  8. Some offices require it, and some don’t, so when you leave a voicemail, be sure to leave your address and zip code to be sure your call gets tallied.  

  9. There are people online who are encouraging people to call out-of-state politicians.  Please do NOT call people who don’t represent you.  Calling out-of-state politicians reinforces the myth that there are people being paid to protest and ties up the phone lines for constituents.  And while a staffer may take your call from out of state because it's the quickest way to get you off the phone, out-of-state calls are not tallied.

 
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