Delegation Resource Manual: Month by Month Implementation Guide
Page
55
YMCA PA Youth & Government Program
1776 Independence Way
Your Town, Pennsylvania
September 6, 2003
GUIDE TO WRITING ELECTED OFFICIALS
Suggested Reasons to Write An Elected Official
Express an opinion:
about a current issue
about a former vote on legislation
about an upcoming vote on proposed legislation
Ask a question:
What is his or her opinion on a specific issue?
Why does your elected official support/oppose a specific issue?
What are the challenges facing elected officials?
Propose legislation
Explain a problem you see in your community. Depending on the official you chose to
write, this could be a national, state, or local issue.
Suggest a solution to a problem.
II.
Preparing to Write the Letter
Research your elected official (start by visiting www.ymca.org to find your officials)
Find out on which committee(s) your representative serves.
Is the issue that most interests you one in which your representative also has an interest?
What is his/her voting record?
Is your representative’s political ideology more liberal or more conservative than your
own?
What recent legislation has he/she sponsored?
This can indicate an area of interest or expertise for your representative.
Research your issue
Find out if any organizations or elected officials feel the same as you about this issue.
Your representative may find this interesting, especially if they are also from your state.
How do these organizations gather information and support for their position?
Read recent newspaper and magazine articles about your issue. What statistical or
factual evidence can you gather that supports your opinion?
Write the Letter
From the website you can send an e-mail to your elected official. Most officials will prefer this
method due to the security restrictions and delays associated with posted mail.
