People are elected to represent us at the local, state, and federal level, and they really do care about what you think. Communicating your wishes is a great way to engage and push for the change (or status quo) you desire.

Democracy is not a spectator sport. It begins with you. Tag, You’re it! – Thom Hartmann

Contacting your elected officials may feel daunting, but it can actually be pretty simple to do. Here’s how:

A. Find your elected officials

You may already know who some of your elected officials are, but maybe not all. This website quickly lists your federal, state, and local elected officials.

https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials

Simply enter your home address, and it will show you all your elected officials.

B. Find their contact info

There are many ways to contact your elected officials. Most have websites (which are conveniently listed in the results from webpage above). They also have telephone numbers, social media accounts, email addresses, and sometimes fax numbers (although the latter two may be difficult to find).

C. Individual vs. Group Messaging

If you have a message for a specific elected official, you can send them an individual message via their website, a phone call, and/or social media.

If you choose to call, be courteous to the person who answers the phone — even if the issue you are calling about angers you. It is a tedious and thankless job to answer phone calls and write down your message. Be sure to state your name, where you live, and whether you would like a response.

But what if you want to contact several or all of your elected officials? There are handy tools that make this an easier task to accomplish.

FaxZero.com allows you to send a fax to your Senator, Representative, and/or Governor for free. Not all elected officials accept faxes, but many do. You can type up a message and send it from the FaxZero website for free (you don’t have to own a fax machine). Once sent, look for an email confirmation and be sure to respond to it. After that you will receive more emails confirming your fax was successfully sent.

ResistBot is an even more powerful free tool. It allows you to contact all your elected officials at once. It is available through SMS Text, Apple Messages, Telegram, Instagram, and FB Messenger. Simply send a message to ResistBot (e.g. SMS text 50409) and it will walk you through the process of selecting your recipients, composing, and sending a message to your elected officials.

Some ResistBot communications may require virtual “coins” which can be purchased to pay for postage (for physical letters) and faxes etc.

Click here for a list of ResistBot commands.

D. Share your communications

Whether you call, send a letter, or use FaxZero or ResistBot, let other people know what you did. Many may not know how to share their thoughts and wishes with their elected officials. Showing them how easy it is will make it possible for them to engage and add their voice to yours.

What Can I Do – Series Introduction
1. Manage your consumption of news
2. Reduce your time on social media
3. Communicate with your legislators
4. Cultivate and nurture your friendships
5. Volunteer and serve others

Click on the topics above to jump to that article.