Tips on Writing Letters to Elected Officials
Letters to Assembly members, Representatives and Senators are an important way to communicate your concerns to the policymakers who can make change happen.
Here are some tips on writing effective letters to legislators:
- Use concrete examples and information and make it personal (i.e. I watch my kids play on this playground every night, and it’s an important part of my life and my community. I’m disappointed that we don’t have the resources to upgrade this equipment, as it is aging and unsafe.)
- Make it legible and include your contact information, for follow-up
Contact Information:
To find out who your local legislators are, enter your address at the Anchorage MyNeighborhood website:
http://neighborhood.muni.org/
Emails, letters, and phone calls are all great ways to communicate with your elected officials. For contact information for your local assembly members and legislators, please visit the following websites:
Anchorage Assembly:
http://www.muni.org/assembly2/index.cfm
Alaska State House of Representatives:
http://house.legis.state.ak.us/
Alaska State Senate:
http://senate.legis.state.ak.us/
Sample Letter to Assembly Member or Legislator
Dear Representative XYZ,
My name is John Smith, and I have lived in the XYZ neighborhood in your assembly district for 15 years. In those 15 years, I’ve watched my kids and my neighbors’ kids grow up in XYZ Park. I appreciate very much the opportunity that parks provide to children in my neighborhood to run and play in an open green space in a neighborhood with few backyards.
For the last five years, I have become more and more concerned about XYZ Park. I’ve noticed that the benches are worn down, and in some cases falling apart. The lawn in the summer time is brown and patchy. And there aren’t enough trash cans, either, leading people to leave their trash on the ground.
As a constituent, I respectfully ask you to investigate the situation in XYZ Park and work to improve the park. I appreciate your interest and concern, and look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
John Smith