From your local city council to your senators in Washington, DC, meeting with your elected officials about your concerns is a lot easier than most people think. Remember, that your legislators work for YOU and it is their job to listen to your concerns!

Watch this video for more information and valuable tips about contacting your elected officials: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1743414647410019685

Requesting a meeting

1. Prepare a written request for a meeting the following information:
   -the topic you wish to discuss at the meeting.
   -names of those who will attend, if possible limit the group to no more than five.
   -when you would like to meet and your contact information (include your address so they can verify that you are a constituent).


2. Send your request


3. Confirm the Request’s receipt:
   -Wait two business days and then call the scheduler to confirm that your request was received.


4. Be politely persistent:
   -Be patient and flexible, it may take several calls to get a firm meeting time.


5. Call the day before your appointment, to reconfirm it.

Prepare for your Meeting

1. Decide who will attend the meeting and what each person’s role is. 
   In general, avoid delegations larger than five. Select people who will stay on topic and not let their emotions get the best of them.  Know in advance which role each group member will perform.  For example, who will make introductions? Who will make your key points?  Who has a personal story to tell that will help make your case? Does anyone have professional expertise or authoritative information that will strengthen your case?


2. Decide what you want to achieve. 
   Be specific in your requests and create the opportunity to follow up.  For instance asking, “Will you vote in favor of legislation X” or “Will you bring this point up during debate on the House floor” or requesting that the Member ask a particular question of a witness at an upcoming hearing are examples of specific asks. If you are in a position to organize a town hall meeting with Muslim constituents, this is a good time to invite the congressperson to visit.


3.  Pitching your issue
   As you frame your arguments to elicit support for your concerns, think about how the congressperson adopting the issue will help you, and how it will impact their district. Make it appealing for them to adopt your interests.   Try to mix a brief personal story in with your facts and figures.  Research the congressperson’s views and priorities before your meeting; this will help frame your argument in the most convincing way.  Information on the congressperson’s positions can be obtained on their website, or by reading articles about him or her in the local paper.

Note: In addition to these guidelines for your meeting, we advise that you complete our pre-meeting planning sheet beforehand to prepare

During the Meeting

Be prompt and patient.  Elected officials run on very tight schedules.  Be sure to show up on time for your appointment, and be patient — it is not uncommon for legislators to be late or to have your meeting interrupted by other business.  Plan on meeting for no more than 15 minutes; however, be willing to stay longer if the congressperson is receptive.

On issues where you cannot come to a mutually agreeable conclusion, always maintain basic courtesy.  Be factual and honest.  Summarize your three most important points at the beginning and end of the meeting, and stick to them throughout.  Never argue motivations, only the merits of the issues. 

Provide personal and local examples of the impact of the legislation. This is the most important thing you can do in a lobby visit.

Take pressure off yourself; you don’t need to be an expert on the topic you are discussing.  If you don’t know the answer to a question, it is fine to tell your legislator that you will get that information for him or her.  This gives you the chance to put your strongest arguments into their files and allows you to contact them again about the issue. Never make up an answer to a question; -giving wrong or inaccurate information can seriously damage your credibility.

After the Meeting

Right after the meeting, compare notes with everyone in your group to understand what the elected official committed to do and what follow-up information you promised to send.  Each person who took part in the meeting should promptly send a personal thank you letter to the legislator.

Make sure to follow up in a timely fashion with any requested materials and information.  Oftentimes, if an elected official hasn’t taken a position on legislation, they will not commit to one in the middle of a meeting.  If he or she has to think about it, ask when you should check back.  Be flexible but persistent. 

Note: In addition to these guidelines for after the meeting, we advise that you complete our post-meeting report