How to Contact Your State Representative
Your state legislature writes the rules for housing, schools, transit, policing, and taxes. State reps each have a few thousand to a few tens of thousands of constituents — small enough that their staff actually read email, big enough that your message still counts.
Updated
Identify your two legislators
Every U.S. address has two state legislators: one in the lower house (assembly or house of representatives, depending on the state) and one in the upper house (state senate). Your address determines both. Search 'find my state legislator [state]' — most secretaries of state run a lookup tool.
Which one to write depends on what you're asking about. Specific bills usually start in one chamber, so check which chamber your bill is in. General issues? Write both; the offices coordinate, so your message will cross-reference.
Write during session, about specific bills
State legislatures are in session for 3-6 months of the year (it varies — check your state's calendar). Mail sent during session gets tracked against active legislation. Out-of-session mail sits in a queue and often gets batch-processed weeks later.
If you're writing about a specific bill, say the bill number in the subject line ('Re: AB 2013 — supports' or 'Re: SB 451 — opposes'). Legislative offices tally these. A thousand 'SB 451 — opposes' emails on a close vote can change one legislator's mind. A thousand 'bad legislation' emails change nothing because they can't be counted.
When to call instead of email
For a vote happening in the next 48 hours, call. Email goes into a queue; phone calls get logged in real time and reported to the legislator that morning. Capitol switchboards can patch you to any office: find the number on your state's legislature website.
The script is short: your name, your city, your position on the bill ('I'm a constituent in Oakland, please vote no on AB 2013'). That's it. The staffer's job is to count; don't give them a speech, give them a tally.
Quick steps
- 1
Look up both your legislators
Lower house + upper house. Both represent your address.
- 2
Check if the legislature is in session
In-session mail gets processed fast; off-session mail sits.
- 3
Include the bill number in the subject
Format: 'Re: AB 2013 — supports' (or opposes). This is what the tally system keys off.
- 4
Call for votes in the next 48 hours
Phone calls get logged in real time and reported that morning. Email is too slow.