When you need to make your voice heard on an issue and you don’t have time to write a letter or email, a call can be a great means to let your legislator know how you feel about an issue. While it’s likely you will not speak directly to your legislator, your call is important to legislators as they try to judge public opinion on specific pieces of legislation. Let’s dive into how to call an elected official to make sure you are as effective as possible.
Plan Your Call
Know what you’re calling about, and write down key pieces of information before the call. While it’s important that your call sound relaxed and personal, you should also be prepared with the information you want to communicate. Your call could last less than a minute, especially if you are calling in a period when there are a high volume of calls coming in to your legislator. Know what to expect and try to find out the position of the legislator before you make the call.
Be concise, direct and brief. Time is limited, so get right down to business.
Introduce Yourself as a Constituent
Legislators are interested in what people like you think. For example, you might start you call off with: “My name is John Doe, and I own a dairy farm near Monroe.” Including your address lets the legislator’s staff know that you are a constituent.
Deliver and Define Your Key Message
This is likely the piece of legislation you are calling about, so be sure to know the bill’s official number. To continue the earlier example, you might say: “I’m calling about Senate Bill 123, a proposal to increase the nutrition of food. Proper nutrition is important to long term health for all Americans. I would like to see Senator Smith support Senate Bill 123. Can you tell me where she stands?” Make your case for why the legislator should support your position using one or two key local examples, anecdotes, or studies.
Remember to thank your legislator. If they agree to support or continue their support, thank them. If not, ask them.
Follow Up and Continue to Advocate
Once the call is over, recruit others to advocate on the issue. Calls, like any form of grassroots advocacy, are much stronger when large numbers of constituents get involved. Persuade others to make similar calls. The more times staff hear about an issue on the phone, the more likely they are to share your concerns and arguments with the legislator.
If you are a part of a mobilization effort, be sure to let the appropriate leader know that you have made a call. This allows leaders to know the quantity of calls that have been made through the grassroots lobbying effort.
Finally, follow up as necessary. Monitor the issue, and as it progresses through the legislative process, call back to ask for support of a specific action as appropriate.
Just by picking up the phone, you are showing your legislator that you care enough to speak up. Your call doesn’t need to be long or perfect. It only needs to be clear and grounded in your experience. When you plan your message, introduce yourself as a constituent, and share why the issue matters to you, you give your legislator something real to consider. When you stay engaged, you strengthen your impact and help shape decisions that affect you and your community.
Need more information?
Need to know who your elected officials are at the state and federal level? Want to know how to contact them? WFBF.com features a variety of resources useful for your grassroots advocacy efforts.
Visit the local, state and national agricultural issues pages to learn about issues impacting agriculture and rural Wisconsin. You can track the status of current state legislation and regulations as well as learn about policies important to Wisconsin agriculture from these pages. Learn more at wfbf.com/policy.
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