Updated 8-18-2006
AAUW voter guides provide nonpartisan information about candidate positions on AAUW priority issues. Because issues important to women and families are typically at stake in elections, it is vital that women go to the polls knowing where the candidates stand. That’s where AAUW voter guides come in. To create voter guides for your Congressional elections use the voter guide templates on the AAUW website. One template has been created for House races and a separate template has been created for Senate races. The templates include current issues critical for women and girls. You will need to document the positions of the candidates on the issues listed in the voter guide. Thorough guidelines on creating voter guides are available on the AAUW website in chapter 9 of the Woman-to-Woman Voter Turnout manual.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for August 11, 2006
The Power of One Vote postcards, stickers and pins designed to be used as companion pieces to the Woman-to-Woman Voter Turnout manual are available, and have just been mailed to all state public policy chairs. These extras can be helpful in making your voter turnout campaign more visible in your community and in creating awareness of your branch’s advocacy activity in this coming election season and beyond. Whether distributing the postcards, stickers and pins to volunteers directly involved in your voter turnout campaign, wearing the pieces yourself, or circulating them throughout the community by posting them in key locations such as a library or a popular local coffee shop, you will be getting your message out with minimal effort and maximum return. The Power of One Vote logo speaks for itself but also invites conversation so be prepared to engage in dialogue with community members and explain the goals of your campaign and AAUW’s work. This is also a great time to recruit members for AAUW’s Member Get a Member Campaign. These voter turnout materials and the Woman-to-Woman Voter Turnout manual are available on request. Please contact the Public Policy and Government Relations staff at 800/608-5286.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for August 11, 2006
Meeting with your elected officials about AAUW issues is a lot easier than most people think. Remember, your legislators work for you! In the May issue of AA, tips on how to set up and conduct a meeting were shared. Now learn what to do once the meeting is over.
After the Meeting. Right after meeting with your elected official, compare notes with everyone in your group to confirm what the elected official committed to do. Each person who took part in the meeting should promptly send a personal thank-you letter to the member of Congress (MC).
Follow up in a timely fashion. Provide your MC with any requested materials and information. If the elected official or staff member doesn't meet the deadline for action agreed upon during the meeting, ask him or her to set another deadline. Be persistent and flexible!
If you are meeting with a member of Congress, let us know. Send an e-mail to votered@aauw.org and let us know what you learned during your meeting. Knowing what arguments your MC used, what issues are important to him or her, and what positions he or she took on various issues will help us make our national lobbying strategy more effective!
- from AAUW's Action Alert, June 2004.
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Meeting with your elected officials about AAUW issues is a lot easier than most people think. Remember, your legislators work for you!
Make your request in writing and follow up with a call to the appointment secretary/scheduler. Suggest specific times and dates for your meeting. Let them know what issue and legislation (by bill number, if you have one) you wish to discuss. Make sure they know that you are a constituent.
Check the AAUW website for materials. We have information to help you decide on your talking points, as well as materials that you can leave with your elected official.
Decide who will attend the meeting. Keep it small (no more than four or five people), but bring people who represent different groups that have an interest in the legislation.
Agree on talking points. It's tough to make a strong case for your position when your group is disagreeing in the meeting! If a point is causing tension in the group, leave it out.
Plan your meeting. People can get nervous in a meeting, and time is limited. Be sure that you lay out the agenda for the meeting beforehand, including who will start the conversation.
Decide what you want achieve. What is it you want your elected official to do - vote for or against the bill? Asking your legislator to do something specific will give you a benchmark for success!
Be prompt and patient. Elected officials run on very tight schedules. Be sure to show up on time for your appointment, and be patient - it is not uncommon for legislators to be late or to have your meeting interrupted by other business.
Keep it short and focused! You will have 20 minutes or less with a staff person, and as little as 10 minutes if you meet with your elected official. Make the most of that brief time by sticking to your topic.
Bring up any personal, professional or political connections to the elected official. Start the meeting by introducing yourselves and thanking the legislator for any votes he or she has made in support of your issues, and for taking the time to meet with you.
Stick to your talking points! Stay on topic, and back them up with no more than five pages of materials that you can leave with your elected official.
Provide personal and local examples of the impact of the legislation. Putting a human face on an issue is the most important thing you can do in a lobby visit.
Saying "I don't know" can be a smart political move. You don't need to be an expert on the topic you are discussing. If you don't know the answer to a question, it's fine to tell your legislator that you will get that information for him or her. This gives you the chance to put your strongest arguments into their files, and allows you to contact them again about the issue. Never make up an answer to a question - giving wrong or inaccurate information can seriously damage your credibility.
Set deadlines for a response. Often, if an elected official hasn't taken a position on legislation, they will not commit to one in the middle of a meeting. If he or she has to think about it, or if you are meeting with a staff member, ask when you should check back in to find out what your legislator intends to do about your request. That way, you aren't left hanging indefinitely.
Stay tuned for the next issue of Action Alert for tips on how to follow up with your elected official.
Good luck and have fun!
- from AAUW's Action Alert, May 2004.
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- from AAUW's Action Alert, May 2004.
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Letters to the editor are great advocacy tools. After you write letters to your members of Congress, sending letters to the editor can achieve other advocacy goals because they:
Keep it short and on one subject. Many newspapers have strict limits on the length of letters and have limited space to publish them. Keeping your letter brief will help assure that your important points are not cut out by the newspaper. Use the "Tips on Writing to our Elected Officials" as a guide.
Make it legible. Your letter doesn't have to be fancy, but you should use a typewriter or computer word processor if your handwriting is difficult to read.
Send letters to weekly community newspapers too. The smaller the newspaper's circulation, the easier it is to get your letter printed.
Be sure to include your contact information. Many newspapers will only print a letter to the editor after calling the author to verify his or her identity and address. Newspapers will not give out that information, and will usually only print your name and city should your letter be published.
Make references to the newspaper. While some papers print general commentary, many will only print letters that refer to a specific article. Here are some examples of easy ways to refer to articles in your opening sentence:
- from AAUW's Action Alert, April 2004.
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Letters and faxes are an extremely effective way of communicating with your elected officials. Many legislators believe that a letter represents not only the position of the writer but also many other constituents who did not take the time to write.
These tips will help increase the effectiveness of your letter:
Keep it brief. Letters should never be longer than one page-and should be limited to one issue. Legislative aides read many letters on many issues in a day, so your letter should be as concise as possible.
State who you are and what you want up front. In the first paragraph, tell your legislators that you are a constituent and identify the issue about which you are writing. If your letter pertains to a specific piece of legislation, identify it by its bill number (e.g. H.R.__ or S. ___) if possible.
Hit your three most important paints. Choose the three strongest points chat will be most effective in persuading legislators to support your position and flesh them out.
Personalize your letter. Tell your elected official why this legislation matters in his or her community or state. If you have one, include a personal story that shows how this issue affects you and your family. Constituents' personal stories can be very persuasive as your legislator shapes his or her position.
Personalize your relationship. Have you ever voted for this elected official? Have you ever contributed time or money to his or her campaign? Are you familiar with this person through any business or personal relationship? If so, tell your elected official or a staff person. The closer your legislator feels to you, the more powerful your argument is likely to be.
You are the expert. Remember that your legislator's job is to represent you. You should be courteous and to the point, but don't be afraid to take a firm position. Often, your elected official may know no more about a given issue than you do.
- from AAUW's Action Alert, February 2004.