FairVote - Contact Your Congressperson

Tell Your Congressperson to Support Voting Rights

Write your Congressman

Call your Congressman

To call the Capitol Hill switchboard dial (202) 224-3121. You can also look up the local district phone number of your Congressperson here.

Here are some suggestions for your call:

State your name and tell them that you're a constituent. If you want a response make sure to include your home address. (Remember that the staff person you are speaking to is, in effect YOUR employee, remember to be courteous but feel free to ask that the Representative respond to you with answers.)
Tell them that before the end of this year, you expect them to live up to their responsibilities as your representatives in a democracy and establish the safest, most secure and equal electoral system in America. Tell them that while we have included a right to vote in the new Constitutions of Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. Constitution includes no such right.
Ask them to make voting a greater priority and support H.J. Res. 28, the proposed amendment to add a right to vote.. Tell them that it is inconceivable that in America between 4-6 millions votes were not counted in the last presidential election due to poor ballot design, machine-error and voter disenfranchisement all on the state level.
Explain that while you understand that some of the provisions outlined in the Help America Vote Act are needed, this bill is not mandatory and it still allows states to set their own policies and procedures. Let them know that most states including Florida and Ohio have only only partially adopted HAVA provisions. Finally some provisions like voter ID requirements may in fact restrict low-income, African-American, Latino, Native Americans and college students ability to vote because they do not have proper identification.
Tell them about an voting issue that personally concerns you or someone you know — like standardized electoral procedures, paper ballot trail, untested electronic voting machines, ex-felon voting rights, voter intimidation. Urge them to step up and lead.
Finally, let them know that you'd like to hear back from your Congressperson on these issues. Tell them that you'd like to know what he or she plans to do about them. Let them know that you'll look forward to their response, and thank them for their time.

With your help this movement will continue growing - one living room, one phone call, one conversation at a time.

Thanks for doing your part!