Make One Call
Courtesy of Ali Solomon. @AliSolomon
Venting on social media may make you feel better termporarily, but calling your elected officials can have a real impact. Activists and legislative aides agree that phone calls are the most effective way to influence politicians. And it only takes five minutes of your time. So gather your thoughts, jot down some notes, and dial up. (If the thought of calling gives you heart palpitations, no judgment. Send One Email instead.) And remember: You don’t need to wait for a vote in Congress. Call to urge an end to mass government layoffs, or to oppose RFK, Jr.’s dismantling of the HHS vaccine advisory panel. Exhort your governor to stand up for the rule of law or your state reps to protect access to Medicaid. If you live in a Blue State, Indivisible has organized a campaign called Blue State Defiance to pressure Democratic Attorneys General to use the legal tools at their disposal to fight ICE overreach and the denial of due process to thousands of detainees. You can connect with your state’s AG right on the Indivisible site and call from there. Sample scripts are provided.
Where to Start
5calls is an easy-to-use platform that directly connects you with your U.S. Senators and Representatives. There’s nothing to download. Just go to 5calls.org, type in your zip code to find your electeds, and call right from there. 5calls also tracks more than 50 current issues, updates regularly, and offers sample scripts. Tweak the scripts to suit your particular concerns or just speak from the heart. Keep it brief, be polite, and make yourself heard. 5Calls works on smart phones, computers and tablets.
Action tip: Make a recurring calendar alert on your phone and add the 5calls link there in the alert. That way you can call right when the reminder pops up.
Sign up for email updates to the 5calls issues list.
Other Ways to Connect
Don’t want to or can’t use 5Calls for some reason? Call the Congressional switchboard at 202-225-3121 and ask to be put through to your U. S. Representative’s office. Be prepared to ask for them by name. You can even ask to speak to the staff aide who works on a specific issue.
To reach your U.S. Senators: Call 202-224-3121 and ask to be put through to your Senators’ offices.
Get contact info for ALL of your federal, state, and local elected officials via the handy USA.GOV tool.
Action tip: Add those phone numbers to your contacts.
What Happens When You Call?
A legislative staffer or intern will answer and takes notes on your message. They’re trained to log every call, usually in a constituent database, and your stance is recorded, so focus on one issue per call. Even if you just leave a voicemail, it still gets counted. (See below.) If enough people call about the same topic, it’s flagged as a high-priority issue.
The more calls legislators receive on an issue, the harder it is to ignore.
How to Make an Effective Call
Be clear and direct.
Keep it short (staffers take notes quickly).
Call the electeds who represent you. Staffers prioritize calls from voters in their district/state.
Keep the Script Simple
Use one of the 5calls scripts or gin up a quick one of your own:
“Hi, my name is [Name], I’m a constituent from [City, State]. I’m calling to urge [Senator/Representative Name] to reject the actions of the Trump administration regarding [Issue]. This issue is important to me because [1-2 sentence reason]. Thank you.”
What If You Get Voicemail?
Don’t hang up. Leave your name and your message on the voicemail and don’t forget to include your full street address to ensure your call is tallied. Don’t forget: You are a constituent. Your lawmakers represent you.