How to Contact Your Legislator

Legislators are busy people with demanding schedules and thousands of constituents, so learning how to best communicate with them will make you more effective.

We have listed some helpful information below. For more tips - from legislators themselves - on communicating with legislators, click here for the Florida House or click here for the Florida Senate.

Email and Mail

  • You will find your Representative and Senator and their email and office addresses on our web site.
  • Let them know you are a constituent and a UF supporter.
  • Tell them why the issue is important to you and the district.
  • Stick to one issue per email or letter.
  • Each legislator receives a tremendous amount of correspondence, so keep yours short and concise.
  • You don’t need to be an expert on the issue you are discussing. Just refer to our one-pagers.
  • You may use our bullet points (found under the “Action” heading) exactly as they are written, but putting them in your own words is far more effective.
  • Keep a positive tone and thank the legislator for considering your position.
  • Tell us about your communication.

Meeting

  • Legislators are often less busy and easier to reach in their district offices.
  • If you meet with them in Tallahassee during the legislative session, you may only see them for a few minutes. Also, legislators are often delayed by circumstances beyond their control. Patience is important!
  • You may meet with an aide instead of the legislator. This is not a waste of time. Aides are knowledgeable, influential and will deliver your message to legislators.
  • Let them know you are a constituent and a UF supporter.
  • Make the best use of your time by sticking to one issue and getting to the point quickly.
  • You don’t need to be an expert on the issue you are discussing. Our one-pagers should give you the basic information you need to know.
  • Tell them why the issue is important to you and the district.
  • If your legislator asks a question you cannot answer, say you will get back to him/her and contact us for the answer.
  • Keep a positive tone.
  • Finish the meeting by asking for the legislator’s support and saying thank you. If you know the legislator does NOT support your position, simply thank him/her for listening to your point of view.
  • Tell us about your meeting.

Phone Call

  • If you cannot reach your legislator, you may want to speak to an aide. Aides are knowledgeable, influential and will deliver your message to the legislators.
  • Let them know you are a constituent and a UF supporter.
  • Tell them why the issue is important to you and the district.
  • You don’t need to be an expert on the issue you are discussing. Just refer to our one-pagers.
  • If your legislator asks a question you cannot answer, say you will get back to him/her and contact us for the answer.
  • Keep a positive tone and thank the legislator for considering your position.
  • Tell us about your call.