Contact Legislators - phone calls vs emails
February 2, 2025 6:23 PM   Subscribe

I just read a piece that states that phone calls are more effective than emails for contacting US Senators, Representatives, and State Legislators. Looking for documentation. The piece I read is being posted all over social media, or at least all over my lefty groups.

It also states that office visits are quite useful. I've gone to my Senator's office with a group, was threatened with arrest (we were peaceful, calm cooperative) and it's obviously much more time consuming. Thanks for providing whatever useful data/ experience/ facts you've got.
posted by theora55 to Law & Government (6 answers total) 11 users marked this as a favorite
 
Response by poster: I have seen this terrific question and answers from 2014, but the social media and communication landscapes are changing really fast. And the need for contact has multiplied in February of 2025, with daily Executive Orders, Chaos, and the presidential nominees for Cabinet and top level positions that require Senate approval.
posted by theora55 at 6:29 PM on February 2


Via 5 Calls.
posted by NotLost at 8:00 PM on February 2 [3 favorites]


It looks like you are in Maine so this is going to be a somewhat Maine specific answer but could probably be adjusted for other states. If you can go to or call the in state office for Collins and King that will be useful because elected officials want to know that the people they are fielding calls from and seeing are actually from the state. Collins specifically gets a lot of contacts from out of state because she is often viewed as a swing vote (although make of that what you will). I would recommend going as an individual rather than a group (since no one likes feeling out numbered no matter how courteous) and approaching any meeting with an open mind. Your goal is to begin a relationship where your official feels like they can trust what you have to say. Dress respectfully. You don’t need to be in full business wear, but make sure you are tidied up, your clothes are clean and in as good condition as possible.

If you grew up in Maine, when you first meet your official, find a way to mention this in your introduction “I’m a (# generation) Mainer who grew up in the (town) area and went to (high school)” Bonus points if your family has been in Maine for a long time and they might know someone in your family. Also mention if you voted for them when they were first running for senate or if you were positively impacted by something they did in the past.

If you didn’t grow up in Maine, include in your introduction what brought you to the state and, if you have lived in the state for over a decade, make a point of casually mentioning how long you have lived there so that they know that even though you come “from away”, you are in it for the long haul.

Either way, keep this intro patter short and then gently go into what you want to discuss. “I am worried that (insert piece of legislation here) is going to have a negative impact on the state because (1 to 3 main reasons) and I’m wondering if we could talk about that” then discuss. Keeping the focus on state or local level is helpful because it matches with their actual sphere of impact. Specific legislation is helpful because it gives them something concrete to work with. Allow them to also talk and share their thoughts. At the end of your time ask them “What is something I can do that would help create an environment where you could vote (yes/no) on this piece of legislation?” This allows them to think about what it would take and how it would get done.

Best of luck!
posted by donut_princess at 8:16 AM on February 3 [6 favorites]


Here is a Wired report on what happens when you contact your elected officials via various means. Money quote from a deputy chief of staff: "The constituents that put the greatest effort into their communication with Congress, he says, are the ones that often get the greatest reward, including personal calls from Takano himself."

From the NY Times (archive link): "Several lawmakers, along with those who work for them, said in interviews that Ms. Waite is right: A phone call from a constituent can, indeed, hold more weight than an email, and far outweighs a Facebook post or a tweet."

You really captured the reasons in your question. Doing the time consuming stuff makes a bigger impression because you've chosen to invest in it, and that in and of itself is a signal.
posted by Bryant at 8:46 AM on February 3 [6 favorites]


As someone who works in advocacy (i.e. sometimes my job is to drive constituent engagement to target offices), yes, calls are better—this is general "common sense" in DC, and LAs / LDs / CoSes will say so directly.

What I'm really chiming in here with is two things:

1) You should *also* and *always* mention any volunteer position, local citizen's group, or job you might have if it involves you talking to lots of people. Clergy is great, but if you are a PTA president, your kid's soccer coach, or on the Board of your community theater, say that. Most offices care about local leaders, assuming that they are speaking for several people at once.

2) If you can coordinate friends to all call on the same day, that is ideal. For US House Members, the daily number that makes an impact is really quite low, sometimes as few as 25 or 30 daily calls. I don't know about state-level reps but I would guess that even fewer daily calls than that would spur them to act. And it's fine if it appears coordinated—it's either neutral or beneficial to the cause, because it can give the impression to staffers that the Member might now have to deal with an organized and angry constituency.

Oh and call the local office if you get the mailbox in DC and it's full.
posted by migrantology at 11:05 AM on February 3 [4 favorites]


Much as I wish emails mattered more because they're easier, the mere fact that they're easier means they matter less. They are lower commitment and don't trigger as much social anxiety, so people do them even for causes they don't care about. By contrast, I really have to work up a head of steam about something before I will get on the phone and I know I'm not alone. My "new administration resolution" is to get over that sh*t and get to the point where my congressional representative's interns know me by name and expect to hear from me at least once a week because that's the sort of colossally consistent pain in the ass I am.

I highly recommend using 5calls and just reading off the script if you hate making phone calls. If your representatives are anything like mine, you'll mostly be going straight to voicemail anyway so you can just rattle off your spiel and walk away feeling like you at least put in your two cents. TBH, even when you talk to a live person they usually sound pretty beat. They aren't looking to have a back and forth, they just want to know why you're calling.
posted by potrzebie at 3:43 PM on February 3 [3 favorites]


« Older I just got a sauna. I wanna get in there...   |   What groceries/products/household goods are from... Newer »

You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments