VA - So You Want to Write a Letter to Your Member of Congress...

So You Want to Write a Letter to Your Member of Congress?


Writing letters to your representative or senator can influence how that person will vote on a particular issue. Although many political organizations do rely on sending out mass form letters, personalized letters get the attention of the politician’s staff much more often. Here are some tips for writing such letters.


• Make sure to include your address. In the top right corner of the page, print your full address, and phone number, so that you can be contacted if necessary. This is especially important if you are asking for a reply from this member of Congress. You can also include the date below your phone number. It’s important to always date the letter when you write it..

• After writing your address, write the address of the person to whom you are sending the letter. First write his or her full name (including title, ex. “The Hon….”), followed by his or her full address.

• Use proper salutations. (“The Honorable” for judges and representatives, etc.).

• It is often a good idea to start off with “I am writing as a constituent..."(or some similar phrase). Writing to your senators/representatives is significantly more effective than writing to other members… if you’re not in their district, your opinion on an issue won’t matter to them.

• Present the issue – the reason you’re writing this letter – at the very beginning of the letter.

• Focus only on one issue in a letter. If there are multiple issues you would like to bring to this representative or senator’s attention, you can send additional letters.

• Be specific about what action you want him or her to take. Express your concern, but make sure that it is a simple request – voting for a particular bill, co-sponsoring a bill, etc. Don’t just say that you want them to “do something.”

• The second paragraph should give some brief background of the issue, and tell why it is important to you that he or she acts on the matter in a particular way.

• Next, your third paragraph should reiterate your request. If you want him or her to vote for/against an issue, remember to say that again here.

• Accountability is important! Here at the end is a good place to put something along the lines of “I would appreciate it if you would let me know your action on this matter” or something similar.

• Finally, make sure that you end your letter correctly, with a phrase such as “Sincerely.” It’s also important to note that you should type your name, but also make sure to sign the letter as well.

• Make the letter brief and to the point. Avoid excess information and comments. A letter should be no more than one printed page.

• Send your letter as soon as it is finished – don’t put off mailing it!

• Be polite!! Use respectful language. Never make any threats or insults. Don’t use profanity.

• Make sure that it is readable! The letter should be legible and neat in appearance. There should be no spelling or grammatical issues. If possible, try to re-read the letter aloud several times (not all in a row), to make sure that it sounds appropriate and understandable.


In addition to letters, you can always send an e-mail, fax, postcard, etc. If you would like to make a telephone call to a member of Congress, you can call the Capitol Switchboard at 1 (202) 224 – 3121 to get his or her telephone number.