You may think that it’s impossible to influence legislators if you’re not a corporate lobbyist. That is a myth! In a democracy, the most powerful lobbying tool is your vote as a constituent! Your legislators want to know what they need to do to win your vote!
Lobbying Basics:
Contact the legislator who represents you and your district. If you’re a voter from District 19 and you contact a legislator from District 7, he or she has no reason to listen to your concerns. Legislators must represent the interests of their own constituents and district.
When collecting letters, have everyone sign their name, print their name, and provide their full address. Later, look up their legislator online using their address and then fill in their legislator’s name.
Don’t assume your legislator knows the issue. Your legislator probably doesn’t know how to stop human trafficking and may not even know what it is. Be sure to explain the problem and the solution.
Be specific. Simply asking a legislator to fight human trafficking is vague and un-measurable. Give your legislators clear measurable goals like “become a co-sponsor of bill S.1301” or “vote S.1301 out of committee.”
Follow-up with the legislator later with a ‘thank/spank.’ Thank her for listening to your concerns then ask her if he or she’s followed through with her commitment. If he or she has, thank her again. If he or she hasn’t, politely express your disappointment.
Be brief and courteous. Legislators and their staff are very busy people. Keep your meetings, letters, and phone calls as brief and direct as possible. Do not be rude and never be late to an appointment.
How should I get in touch with my legislator?
The more personalized and genuine your communication with your legislator is the better. The following techniques are all effective, but are listed from least effective to most effective.
Petitions
If you have people sign a petition to send to a particular legislator, be sure they write down their address to ensure that they’re all from that legislator’s district.
Draft Letter
These can be done online or in hard copy. For them to be more effective, deliver hard copies in person to the legislator’s office and leave a space for people to write in a personalized message.
Handwritten Letter
Leave five minutes at the end of your next meeting for everyone to write a short, handwritten letter to their legislator!
Phone Call
Have a call-in day! Ask all your colleagues and friends to call-in to their legislators on a particular day.
In-Person Meeting
This is most effective. A legislator will not refuse a meeting to a constituent with a clearly articulated concern. If the legislator is too busy to meet with you, her staff will meet with you. Go to this meeting with one or two other people. Bring materials to leave with the legislator. These meetings typically last less than twenty minutes.
How do I figure out who my legislators are?
First, use your full address to find your zip code +4 at this website:
http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp
You’ll use your zip code +4 to find your legislators at the websites below.
You’ll use your zip code +4 to find your legislators at the websites below.
Federal Level:
At the federal level, you have two senators and one representative representing your interests.
Each state has two senators who represent the entire state. Each state has handful of representatives (the number of representatives is determined by the population of the state). States are divided into districts, and representatives each represent a different district in their state. Thus, while you and everyone in your state have the same two senators, you and your neighbor may have different representatives depending on where the district lines are drawn.
To contact your Ohio senators, visit this website:
To find your federal level representatives, visit this website: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
State Level:
At the state level, you have one senator and one representative representing your interests. The state of Ohio is divided into 33 senatorial districts and 99 representative districts. Each senator and representative represents a different district in the state.
To find your state level senator, visit this website: http://www.ohiosenate.gov/
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