What are the issues that keep you up at night? Immigration and ICE? The government shut-down? Attacks on voting rights? Overreach of authority? Environmental issues? Education? Cuts to food aid and healthcare? Letters, phone calls and emails can all be effective ways of telling your legislators what you think.

While most contacts are handled by staff, they typically keep a tally and will brief the legislator on public opinion. Legislators tend to be more responsive to those living in their districts, but you may also contact those that do not directly represent you. A few tips:

• Do your homework first. Know the issue and know your legislators position.

• Be polite and stay brief.

• If calling, know what you want to say. If you get an answering machine, you may have less than 1 minute.

• State who you are (name, address), what your issue is and your position. If calling about a specific bill, specify the bill number and name.

• Make it original and personal. How does this impact you personally?

• If you are a League member, do not represent your self as a member unless you are advocating for a LWV position.