What is the Best Way to Contact Legislators -- Letter, E-mail, Phone, Visit?

Generally, a visit is the most effective way to contact elected officials. Generally, mailing a personalized letter through postal mail is more effective than an e-mail; however, every courteous communication helps. A form e-mail is definitely better than no communication. And when time is of the essence, an e-mail is better. Allow two-weeks to a month for a mailed letter to pass through security, but your letter may not take that long to be delivered. (When time is of the essence, ideally send your letter via both mail and e-mail.) Despite mail-security measures, web sites that claim that electronic mail is always better than letters probably are projecting a little into the future. And while it can be debated that a form-e-mail campaign or form-postcard campaign or petition is more a demonstration of an organization's strength than it is of individuals' values, it's still a significant demonstration of individuals' values. Plus the strength of pro-life organizations matters. Generally, a phone call to a legislator's Washington office is very effective -- as effective as a mailed letter is. Even if you mail or e-mail a message, sign the petitions, too. Every bit helps.

Contacting your elected officials: The Impact of Your Contact
http://www.mccl.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?pid=320&srcid=183
"Your efforts in contacting your elected officials do make a difference in securing protections for women and unborn babies! Federal elected officials use the following rule of thumb:

How To Write To Congress
http://consumerist.com/consumer/your-government/how-to-write-to-congress-302775.php
"Writing to Congress is the single best way to express your view on public policy. The average consumer has a surprising ability to influence legislation by crafting a well written missive. ... Form letters are not an expression of values; they are a show of organizational strength. ... Congressional offices know this and generally disregard form letters. ... Every office has its own procedures for tabulating constituent correspondence, but most will produce a report at the end of week breaking down how many letters were received by issue area, separating out form letters from letters sent by individual constituents. Members treat each type of letter differently, but most look for individual letters as a barometer of their district's concerns. ... Very few people take the time to write to a Member of Congress, so the few that do carry a disproportionate influence. ..."

Contacting the Congress Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/about.html#Hints
"There is no rule saying that one form of communication is better than any other for contacting Congressmembers, however, the overall impression I get is that email is taken less seriously than ground mail or a phone call. In any case, you should always provide your ground mail address in any communications with your Congressmembers. However, if speed of the essence, use FAX or email because since the Fall of 2001, all Capitol Hill ground mail is exposed to thorough decontamination procedures and therefore can take up to a month to get through."

Related Pages
Ending Abortion
How You Can Help in Any of a Number of Ways
Contact Your Elected Officials