Your citizen’s toolkit for taking political action

Alternatives to just shouting your opinions into the void of social media.

News is breaking at 100 miles per hour. Don’t let overwhelm paralyze you from taking action. There’s always something you can do to make a difference. You have many opportunities to make sure your voice is heard, other than complaining to your friends and family and shouting into the Internet void.

One thing you can do right now

First things first: Figure out who represents you in the U.S. House and Senate. Just type in your address here and their names, photos and phone numbers will pop up plus a link to their website and other ways to contact them.

But you don’t even have to take this step, if you already know who represents you or even if you don’t. Just pick up your phone and call the Capitol Switchboard. They will connect you to your lawmakers and even help you figure out who they are. Here’s the number: 202-224-3121.

What should I say?

Hello, this is Donna Blankinship, I live in your district and I voted for you in the last election (if you did). Then briefly thank them (for, at minimum, their service and preferably for something more specific they have done, even if you mostly disagree with them on most of their votes and proposals).

Then tell them why you’re calling, be specific about what you’re asking for and why. Some examples: Please vote for something or against something; speak up about something; keep doing something. Leave your phone number and email address and/or your street address. End your message by thanking them again for their time or by saying “thank you for your service to our country and our community.”

Someone from their staff will respond, likely with a canned message, but most importantly they will add you to their list of people who have expressed a certain opinion on something on the nation’s agenda. They keep track and have told me they are influenced by how often and how passionately their constituents let them know how they feel about something.

Is it better to call or write?

It’s just better to do something. Picking up the phone is easiest for some. Writing an email is easier for others. Do whatever you’re going to do. The only thing you probably shouldn’t do is cut and paste a prewritten message from an advocacy group you support and send that to your U.S. senators or representative. Why not? Because they know a canned message when they see it. They will take note that they have heard from X number of people who may or may not have been their constituents with a canned message from X group. But a personal note will get much more traction.

The advantage of a written message, either via email or on paper, is that you will have more room to explain why you think this action is important. If you can relate the issue to a personal experience, employ that approach. Lawmakers are going to remember your personal story and may even use it in testimony during a bill hearing or in their own social media feeds.

Should you contact people who are not your representatives in Congress? Sure, you can do that and it still counts in their numbers but first make the effort to keep your own representatives informed about what their constituents are thinking.

What about showing up in person?

If you have an opportunity to visit their office in Washington, D.C., or in your community, make an appointment to do so. You won’t always get a chance to speak to your congressperson directly, but you will be able to explain how you feel to one of their staffers and those notes will get to your lawmaker.

If they hold a town hall or another kind of public meeting, show up and speak if you get a chance. If your senator or representative isn’t planning a town hall in the near future, you can demand they do so and explain their plans and answer the voters’ questions.

Your congressperson could also help you with a variety of things, from getting you tickets to a White House tour to advocating on your behalf when you are struggling with our nation’s bureaucracy. This isn’t exactly advocacy but you might find this process will help you build a connection with your lawmaker that will give you an opportunity to express your opinion on other things. And they may call on you to testify at a hearing about what happened to you. This action could help make things better for your fellow Americans.

What about social media communication?

I think that depends on how active your lawmaker is on social media. Everyone appreciates and responds to likes and comments on their posts. But I’m guessing most lawmakers would rather hear from you directly. There is likely a generational divide so pay attention to their social media approach. Depending on the lawmaker and their staff, it may be worth a try.

How do you know this?

I’m a voter. I have opinions. I have contacted my lawmakers. But mostly I know this because I am a journalist who has covered our government officials and representatives for many years and I listen to them talk about what they are hearing from their constituents all the time. They are hearing you and acting on your behalf. Make sure they know how you are feeling by calling and writing.

What else can I do?

Congress is not the only place where decisions are being made that affect your life. You should also be contacting the White House, your state legislature and local officials like the mayor or city council.

Here’s the phone number for calling the White House: (202) 456-1111. You may or may not like what the current president is up to, but his people will still be keeping track of what they hear from voters. You can also write the president an email: comments@whitehouse.gov. Or send a letter on paper: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500.

This website, USA.gov, gives you a path to reaching lots of different elected officials, including governors and state legislators. Or you could use your favorite search engine and ask: who is my state legislator in Washington (using your own state, of course). That query gave me a link to the Washington Legislature, which has a “find my lawmaker” function. Your legislature probably has the same function on their website.

Should I get involved in advocacy groups?

Power in numbers speaks loudly to our government officials. You should join groups that advocate on the issues that matter most to you. Join their protests and take the actions they recommend. This is also a good way to get emotional and spiritual support when it feels like you are just shouting into the void. But don’t just be a joiner; be a doer. March. Picket. Volunteer. Go to meetings. Discuss strategies. And don’t forget to write those emails and phone calls.

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

One more thing

None of this will make a difference if you’re not registered to vote. Start at vote.gov. Then do “future you” a favor and sign up to be an absentee voter so your ballot will be mailed to you each time. Some states make this very easy and in others, you’ll have to work for it, but it’s worth the effort. This will help you remember to vote every time there’s an election. You’ll build your voting muscle that way. And you’ll never again have the excuse of forgetting to vote or not having the time to wait in line at the polling place. The polling place will be your home.

Will any of this matter?

What do you think will make the biggest difference: Telling your friends on social media how you feel, yelling inside your political bubble, or telling your lawmakers directly what you want them to do? Only one of those groups can lose their jobs when they don’t do what you tell them.

Start acting like a boss and put your employees in elected office on an improvement plan. If they don’t do better, you will need to fire them in the next election. If everyone who feels like you commits to this same action, it will make a difference. Or you can just go back to creating memes and posting them on Instagram and TikTok. Up to you.

What else?

I’ll keep adding to this guide as time goes on. If you want me to answer more questions or provide additional information, please let me know in the comments or DM me.

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