Advocating for Change: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing to Elected Officials

     With all of the drastic policy changes—environmental and otherwise—happening in America right now, it is all too easy to succumb to a “doom and gloom” mindset and feel completely powerless in the face of it all. However, it is important to not lose sight of the fact that, as Americans, we have the privilege of living within a democracy. This means that we have the ability to advocate and fight for any and all changes we would like to see in our country.

     One simple and effective way to advocate is by writing to your elected officials. Recently, I did exactly this, contacting my city council members about litter issues in my home city (Seattle) and reaching out to U.S. Senators and Representatives in Washington State about strengthening plastic pollution prevention in the country.

     The process is easier than you might think, and it is accessible to anybody who wants to do it. If there are any issues in the country—whether related to the environment or something else—that you would like to see improved, I highly recommend exercising your democratic rights and contacting elected officials. If you are interested in doing this, I have outlined a step-by-step guide to completing the process, filled with tips and examples to help you along the way.

Step 1: Select your topic

     You might have a very specific topic, issue, or policy you would like to address, or you might have very broad changes you would like to push for. Either way is fine! At this stage in the process, just have a general idea of what you want to write to your elected official(s) about.

Step 2: Research, research, research!

     Whether you know exactly what you will be writing about or just have a broad sense, it is extremely important to do your research. Having a solid understanding of what, specifically, you are advocating for will ensure that you make the biggest impact possible. Within your chosen topic, you should educate yourself on current issues and their effects, work currently being done to fix them, the pros and cons of those efforts, areas that are not being addressed, and so on. Essentially, learn as much as you can about your topic and the policies and work that are connected to it.

Extra tips

1) Be specific in your research! For instance, find specific policies you can reference or statistics you can use to highlight the impacts of the issue you are writing about. Grounding your letter in concrete details and facts will indicate to your elected official(s) that you are well-informed and should, therefore, be taken seriously.

2) Make sure you use reputable sources. In this context, sources that end in “.gov” are often best, as they are directly associated with the government. If you are ever unsure of how accurate the facts in a source are, make sure to fact-check them—the last thing you want to do is give your elected official(s) false information!

Step 3: Figure out who you will write to

     Once you have completed your research and narrowed down the specific issues and/or policies you would like to write about, you need to figure out who you will send your letter to. It will entirely depend on the scale of your issue. If your topic is very localized (i.e. litter issues in neighborhood parks), then your best bet is to write to city officials. In contrast, if your topic is more general or large-scale (i.e. plastic pollution), then you are better off writing to state or federal officials. 

     After you have determined which government tier you will be targeting, identify who within it you want to contact. This may take some further research. 

Step 4: More research

     You might be getting tired of conducting research, but don’t worry—you are almost done! Before you begin outlining and writing, it is important to understand where the elected official(s) you are contacting stand on your topic. So, conduct some research on their opinions and the actions they have or have not taken regarding your topic. Knowing this information is crucial as it will help you determine the best angle to take when writing your letter, ensuring it is as effective and impactful as possible. It will also prevent you from accidentally asking your elected official(s) to do something they have already done or are currently working on doing.

Step 5: Crafting an outline

     

     Before you jump into the writing process, it is a good idea to compile all of your thoughts, ideas, opinions, and research into an organized outline. This will allow you to arrange your paragraphs in an order that makes sense while avoiding redundancy and messiness. There is no specific formula to use when writing a letter to elected officials, so just ensure your information makes sense in the order you present it.

This is the format I used for organizing the information I included in my letters: 

1) Salutation 

2) Introduction—description of who I am and the topic I am writing about

3) Acknowledgment of the actions (i.e. policies, pending bills, etc.) already being pursued to mitigate the issue(s) I am addressing 

4) My reasons—both factual and personal—for caring about the issue(s) and wanting to find solutions 

5) Actions (i.e. strengthening or implementing policies, spreading awareness, etc.) I am encouraging the elected official(s) to take 

6) Actions I personally will be taking to help mitigate the issue(s)

7) Expression of gratitude to the elected official(s) for taking the time to view my message 

8) Valediction

     This format worked well for me, so you are welcome to use it as a guide. But if you would prefer to structure your letter differently, feel free to outline your information in an alternate order or add/subtract categories. There is no “correct” way to do this, so do whatever you think is best!

Extra tip

     During the outlining process, try to eliminate any nonessential or repeated information from your letter. Your elected officials are very busy and don't have time to read excessively long letters, so conciseness is key. It is smart to make sure your letter is succinct now rather than after you have spent time writing all your paragraphs out in full.

Step 6: Writing!

     The time has finally come to develop your outline into a full-fledged letter! Take your time with this process, and make sure your statements are clear, easy to follow, professional, and thoroughly proofread.

Extra tips

1) Strike a balance between a friendly and formal tone. Obviously, you will want your writing to be formal and well-composed, but don’t think that everything you say has to be over-the-top professional. For instance, including personal insights or anecdotes about why you are passionate about the topic you are writing about and think it is important can help your elected official(s) connect with you, increasing their likelihood of taking the actions you suggest they take.

2) It is essential to be very specific when describing what you want your elected official(s) to do. For instance, asking them to "endorse the REDUCE Act to help mitigate plastic pollution" is a lot more effective than asking them to just “help mitigate plastic pollution.” As we have already established, elected officials are busy, meaning they don’t have time to devise action plans to fulfill vague requests. In contrast, if you give them a clear, manageable action to pursue, they will be able to do so.

3) Write about issues in a respectful manner. When you feel strongly about a cause, it can be easy to get carried away by your emotions, especially if you know you might disagree with the elected official(s) you are writing to. However, it is important to shy away from blaming or “attacking” in your letter, as this will not get you the results you want. Of course, it is perfectly acceptable to convey your emotions, but just ensure that you do so kindly and tactfully. 

4) Try to “partner” or “collaborate” rather than “demand.” More specifically, instead of simply giving your elected official(s) a laundry list of efforts you would like them to carry out, supplement your requests with examples of the work you are planning to do. This sends the message that you want to work with them rather than against them, which will make them more inclined to take action. 

5) Embed links to the policies and facts you reference in your letter. This will make it easy for your elected official(s) to access further details related to the information you provide, which is helpful given their busy schedules. Additionally, although elected officials work in the government, they are not familiar with every single policy that exists. So, providing them with links to the policies you want them to support will allow them to easily learn more about them, which increases their chances of supporting them.

     Below, I have attached the two letters I sent to my elected officials as examples of what the finished product may look like. Again, there is no singular “right” way to write it, so feel free to compose yours in a similar manner or an entirely different one.

Letter 1: Contacting Seattle City Council members about litter issues

Dear City Council Members, 

     I hope this message finds you well! My name is Sarah Kaltsukis, and I have been a Seattle resident for all eighteen years of my life. I am writing to you today to express my concerns about the excessive litter I have seen at certain city parks and beaches, as well as to ask for your support in fixing the issue. 

     I realize you are already working hard to remove litter and other waste from the city through policies like the Litter Abatement Program and the Clean City Initiative. However, based on the amount of garbage I've recently seen contaminating city parks (like Carkeek and Magnuson) and beaches (like Golden Gardens), I believe it is necessary to strengthen and increase cleanup efforts for these recreational areas and others. 

     I grew up enjoying Seattle's beautiful outdoor spaces, and I think it is important to keep them trash-free so that future generations can enjoy them without, for instance, worrying about avoiding abandoned drug needles or stepping on plastic bottles. Additionally, I believe it is essential to mitigate the harmful impact litter has on our city's flora and fauna, both on land and in the water. 

     For the aforementioned reasons, I am urging you to increase funding for the city’s garbage cleanup policies. This would allow for the addition of cleanup routes that go through city parks and beaches, as well as the establishment of bigger and more frequent cleanup efforts. Additionally, I believe it would be beneficial for the city to endorse independent garbage removal programs similar to “We Heart Seattle” that focus on preserving the city's natural spaces. 

     Lastly, I urge you to increase awareness within the Seattle community about the negative effects litter has on the environment and human health, as well as encourage residents to engage in cleanup efforts. This could be done through social media posts, public service announcements, and community events. If messages about these topics come from the city council itself, they will make a substantial impact in increasing our community's education about the harmful effects of litter and the importance of properly disposing of garbage and attending cleanup events.

     I will do my part to keep our outdoor areas clean as well by throwing away litter, volunteering at cleanup events, and spreading awareness to others.

     I appreciate you taking the time to view this message and feel sure that with your help, we can clean up and preserve Seattle’s parks, beaches, and outdoor areas, thus benefiting our city’s vibrant community.

Sincerely,

Sarah Kaltsukis

Letter 2: Contacting U.S. Senators and Representatives from Washington state about plastic pollution 

Dear Senators and Representatives,

     I hope this message finds you well! My name is Sarah Kaltsukis, and I have been a Washington state resident for all eighteen years of my life. I am writing to you today to express my concerns about excessive plastic pollution in the state and the country, as well as to ask for your support in mitigating the issue.

     I realize work is currently being done—at both federal and state levels—to cut down on plastic pollution, including EPA initiatives like the National Recycling Strategy and the Trash Free Waters Program, as well as state policies like the 2021 Plastics Law and the Plastic Bag Ban. However, given the ongoing harm plastics—especially microplastics (tiny broken-down plastic particles)—inflict on the health of humans and ecosystems across the country, I believe it is necessary to strengthen and increase federal policies regarding plastic pollution.

      For more context on the detrimental effects of plastic pollution, research shows that over 1,500 animal species regularly ingest plastics and microplastics, which causes harm to their health and increases their chances of extinction. Microplastics contaminate our own bodies, too, as researchers have detected them in human kidneys, placentas, and livers—a concerning indicator of the severity of the plastic pollution issue. Additionally, according to the EPA, plastic products take between 100 and 1,000 years to fully decompose, meaning that when they are not recycled and end up in landfills or even natural areas, they are present for a very long time and can easily pile up. I personally have witnessed an accumulation of un-recycled plastic litter scattered around Washington’s parks, beaches, and bodies of water, as well as the natural spaces of other states I have visited, which is heartbreaking.

     For all the aforementioned reasons, I urge you to support bills addressing plastic pollution, like the 2023 Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act. This bill aims to reduce the production of plastics, prevent them from entering food chains, hold corporations responsible for their contribution to plastic pollution, and more. Co-sponsoring, endorsing, and advocating for this bill, as well as encouraging relevant committees to support it, will bring about significant improvements in lessening plastic pollution, especially from microplastics.

     Secondly, I encourage you to support recycling initiatives like the REDUCE Act, which incentivizes recycling and places a fee on single-use plastic products containing virgin plastics. This policy will dissuade Americans from purchasing single-use items containing plastics and will increase the percentage of recycled plastic products. This will, in turn, reduce the amount of plastics contaminating our environment and save humans and animals from their negative health impacts.

     Lastly, I urge you to increase awareness within the state and country about the adverse effects plastics have on the environment and human health, as well as encourage Americans to reduce their usage of single-use plastic products, refrain from littering, and volunteer at litter cleanup efforts. You could accomplish this through media campaigns, community events, and by funding educational programs. By spreading information about the harmful effects of plastic pollution to larger audiences, we can significantly increase our country’s knowledge about the issue and the amount of action taken to mitigate it.

     I will do my part to help as well by recycling, reducing my own usage of plastic products, disposing of litter, volunteering at cleanup events, and spreading awareness to others.

     I appreciate you taking the time to view this message and feel sure that with your help, we can cut down on our country’s plastic pollution, protect human and animal health, and preserve our gorgeous outdoor spaces.

Sincerely,

Sarah Kaltsukis 

Step 7: Sending your letter

     In some scenarios, such as when writing to U.S. senators, it is best to send individual emails, while when writing to a group (i.e. your city council or representatives), it can be easier to find an email address that allows you to contact everyone at once. If applicable, you can also determine which council member or representative serves your district and write to them individually. Contact information is easily located on most elected officials' websites, and group email addresses are usually found on the official page for a given segment of the government—for instance, the “Seattle City Council” page.

    Once you have gathered the necessary contact information, send your letters and congratulate yourself for a job well done!

Receiving a response

     If you receive a response from your elected official(s), that is fantastic—congratulations! However, if you don’t hear back from anyone right away, or at all, don’t feel discouraged. Elected officials receive hundreds of emails daily and, unfortunately, cannot realistically respond to them all. Additionally, keep in mind that a lack of response does not necessarily mean your message was not read or even that none of your requests will be fulfilled. 

     At the end of the day, though, regardless of the outcome elicited from your letter, what is crucial to focus on is the fact that you took action and advocated for a cause that is important to you. That, in and of itself, is something to be extremely proud of!

Letter Sources

“Litter Abatement Program (LAP).” Seattle Public Utilities, Litter Abatement Program (LAP) - Utilities | seattle.gov

Shulkin, Rachel. “City of Seattle Kicks Off Clean City Initiative to Address Illegal Dumping and Excess Litter Across Our City and in Parks.” Office of the Mayor, City of Seattle Kicks Off Clean City Initiative to Address Illegal Dumping and Excess Litter Across Our City and in Parks - Office of the Mayor

“We Heart Seattle.” We Heart Seattle, We Heart Seattle

“National Recycling Strategy.” EPA, National Recycling Strategy | US EPA 

“Trash Free Waters Program.” EPA, Trash Free Waters | US EPA

“2021 Plastics Law.” Washington State Department of Ecology, 2021 plastics law - Washington State Department of Ecology

“Washington’s single-use plastic bag ban.” Washington State Department of Ecology, Washington's single-use plastic bag ban 

“Impacts of Plastic Pollution.” United States Environmental Protection Agency, 23 Apr. 2024, Impacts of Plastic Pollution | US EPA

Santos, Robson G. et al. “Plastic ingestion as an evolutionary trap: Toward a holistic understanding.” Science, 2 Jul. 2021, Plastic ingestion as an evolutionary trap: Toward a holistic understanding | Science

From Pollution to Solution: A global assessment of marine litter and plastic pollution.” UN Environment Programme, 21 Oct. 2021, From Pollution to Solution: A global assessment of marine litter and plastic pollution

“Break Free from Plastic Pollution,” Merkley.Senate, Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act of 2023 Summary

“REDUCE Act.” Congress, Text - S.2844 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): REDUCE Act of 2023