SEND AN EMAIL TO A LEGISLATOR

The content of an e-mail message may be identical to that of a letter. It is important to note that many legislators do not check their e-mail regularly during the session. In addition, e-mail correspondence sent to these addresses may not be accessible to legislators during the interim. Therefore, before sending e-mail, you should call the legislator's office to inquire about whether the legislator is likely to receive an e-mail message.

E-mail addresses are provided on the Maryland General Assembly's home page. In addition, you may call the office of the Senator or Delegate to obtain his or her e-mail address.

1. Go to the Maryland General Assembly’s home page
2. Click on “Contact a Legislator”
3. The names of the Delegates and Senators will be listed in alphabetical order.  Scroll down until you can click on the name of the person to whom you wish to send the message.
4. Click on the “send E-mail” box
5. The name of the legislator will appear automatically in the “To” line of your email.  Tab down or click to the “Subject” line.  Type in a short subject, such as “Please Support SB#”
6. Click on the “Message” box and type your message.  Use the same format as you would use when writing a letter.
7. After you have re-read and double checked your e-mail message for clarity and made sure that there are no errors, click on the “Send” button.

CALL YOUR LEGISLATOR

For many people, making a phone call is the quickest way to contact a member of the legislature. Phone numbers for senators and delegates are available through the Maryland General Assembly's Department of Legislative Services. They are also available on the General Assembly's web page at http://mlis.state.md.us, the first three digits (after the area code) of the phone numbers vary; depending on the part of the state you are calling from.

In most cases, the purpose of your phone call is to urge a member to vote in a particular way. This does not necessarily require that you speak with the legislator directly. Therefore, you should be prepared to leave a detailed message with the legislator's staff who will keep a tally or count of the calls and positions that are conveyed to the legislator. In many cases, the staff person will request your phone number and/or address so that the legislator can follow up with you by telephone or letter.

You may, of course, ask to speak directly with the legislator. During the session, the best time to reach legislators by telephone is often between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. or in the late afternoon.

Leave a Phone Message

Your message should include:

• Your name and address
• The name and number of the bill you are calling about
• What you want the legislator to do: 

Support or oppose the bill

Support or oppose an amendment that would….[fill in the blank]

Support or oppose and bill that would…[explain the issue or concept]

• If you live in the member’s legislative district, be sure to identify yourself as a constituent

Other things you might add, as appropriate:

• Arguments that support the position you are asking the legislator to take
• The status of the bill, such as whether it is scheduled for a hearing or vote in the next few days
• If you are calling on behalf of an organization or coalition, be sure to identify that group.  If the group is large, you might also mention the number of members or constituents it includes.
• Provide local “spin” – how this bill would affect the legislator’s constituents, facilities, or organizations in his/her district, etc.

WRITE A LETTER

The content of a letter is similar to that of a phone message, although a letter allows you to provide more detailed information about your concerns.  Letters should be short and to the point, generally no longer than one page.  If you are writing about an issue at the request or suggestion of someone else (e.g., as the result of an action alert), it may be helpful to review a sample letter that has bee sent by that person or organization.  However, while it may be easier and faster to simply “cut and paste” from another letter, it is often more persuasive to speak from your own experience or to use examples that reflect the experiences of young people that you know or serve.

Mailing addresses are available on the Maryland General Assembly’s home page or from the General Assembly’s Department of Legislative Services.

Reprinted with permission from Maryland’s Legislative Process
A Guide for Individuals Concerned about the Health of Maryland’s Children and Adolescents, Second Edition
The Johns Hopkins Center for Adolescent Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
© 2001