Writing your elected officials
Letter format
Addressing letters to your elected officials
Personal visits to your elected officials

Writing your elected officials

• Be sure to date mail. Also include your name, address and telephone number on letter and envelope.
• Be brief and to the point. Write one page with a short opening and two to three paragraphs on the subject.
• Be friendly. Being rude, sarcastic, or threatening accomplishes nothing.
• Be issue-focused. Discuss only one issue per letter.
• Be candid and personal. Use your own words, avoiding form letters. Be sure to include your own thoughts on the issue.
• Be certain about documentation. Include details pertinent to the issue.
• Be appreciative. Out of more than 5 million Hoosiers, only 150 become elected officials to the House and Senate.
• Be solicitous of a reply. Ask, "Will you support higher education?" To ensure a reply, you might enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope.
• Be informative to the HHE staff. Call us at (800) 937-3448 or email us at hhe@indiana.edu. We track the communication network to monitor the efforts of our members.
• Be proactive. Put a date on your calendar for an anticipated reply. You may need to write the legislator again.

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Letter format

Please click here to view a sample letter.

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Addressing your elected officials

State Senator
The Honorable...................
Indiana State Senate
200 W. Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2785

State Representative
The Honorable...................
Indiana House of Representatives
200 W. Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2786

Governor
The Honorable Mitchell E. Daniels
Office of the Governor
200 W. Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2797

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Personal visits to your elected officials

The personal visit
Another effective way of getting your message across is to personally visit your representative. Most members of the General Assembly return home on the weekends. Take time to call or visit them and talk about the session events. If they have introduced legislation, show an interest in their efforts.

If business or vacation brings you to Indianapolis, be sure to call the HHE office in Bloomington. We will assist you in setting up an appointment with a legislator if necessary. We can also provide you with updated information, statehouse office numbers, names of key legislative staff, legislators’ voting records, and a checklist of issues for you to discuss.

In order to maximize your effectiveness, we can help you pinpoint the issues you wish to discuss with your representative. Call us at 1-800-937-3448 or 812-855-0921, or email us at hhe@indiana.edu.

Preparation for the visit
Here are some suggested steps to take before, during, and after a meeting with a legislator or a legislator’s staff.

• Prepare for the meeting. Check the HHE website for the latest Action Alerts and issue descriptions.
• Do not be nervous or intimidated. Remember two things: 1) You are a taxpayer and a voter in the legislator’s home district and elected officials work for you; and 2) You are active in promoting higher education and can be confident in the information that you have.
• Be respectful. The legislator does hold an important office and deserves your respect. Do not make threats. For example, do not say, “If you don’t do what I ask, my 300 family members and friends will not vote for you next year.”
• Be concise. Stick to the issue you want to discuss and do not get technical. Remember to keep it simple.
• Remember that all politics are local. If you can illustrate a point by giving an example in your home district, or how higher education has had a positive impact on your or your family, use it.
• Do not argue. If the legislator disagrees with you, state your views, and listen politely to the opposing position. When you depart, thank the legislator for his or her time, saying that you hope to work together on another issue in the future.
• Do not overstay your welcome. A meeting usually lasts 15 minutes and no longer than 30 minutes. The length of the meeting is dictated by the legislator’s schedule and interest. As a result, be sure to budget time so that you can ask the questions you want or request the action that you want the legislator to take.
• Leave a handwritten note. If you miss your legislator, or he/she is unable to meet with you because of a last-minute vote, be sure to leave a personal note. Administrative and legislative assistants at the Statehouse will be sure that your note is delivered. Briefly describe your higher education issue and thank them for their support. Always include your home address so they will know that you are from their district.

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