Tell your elected representatives
what you think about the
For the People Act.

HERE'S HOW!

Elements to include in an effective letter or postcard to your representative

(adapted from Common Cause)

WHO YOU ARE: 

• Your name. 
• “I am a voter from _____ [town] in your district.” 
• “I am a member of NJ 11th for Change.”
  (Mentioning this lets them know that you represent the voices of thousands of other voters! That amplifies the influence of your message. The more of us include this information in our letters/postcards, the more power we grow for ourselves, and for one another.)
• If you want a reply by email, include your email address. If you want a reply by snail mail, include your mailing address instead of your email address. 

WHAT DO YOU WANT? 

If your member of Congress supported or voted for H.R. 1 in 2019 (every Democrat and Independent):

In a postcard:

• Thank them for supporting the For the People Act in 2019.
• Urge them to encourage their colleagues vote for HR1 in 2021.
• We need a government that works for all of us!

In a letter, you can add: 

• We need to expand access to our democracy in the long term, not just for one election.
• Why one or two of the specific reforms is important to you. 

If your member of Congress is newly elected or did not support HR1 in 2019 (every Republican):

In a postcard:

• Ask them to support the For the People Act.
• Tell them you expect them to fight for the rights of ordinary people to have a voice in our democracy.

In a letter, you can add: 

• We need to expand access to our democracy in the long term, not just for one election.
• Why one or two of the specific reforms is important to you. 

Contact information for our reps

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Representative Mikie Sherrill (D – CD11)

• General contact information: https://sherrill.house.gov/contact
• Email: https://sherrill.house.gov/contact/email-me 
• Mailing address (Washington, D.C.): 1414 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20515
• Mailing address (New Jersey): 8 Wood Hollow Road, Suite 203, Parsippany, NJ 07054
• Phone numbers (put them in your speed dial and call — frequently!): 
  • (202) 225-5034
  • (973) 526-5668

Representative Donald Payne, Jr. (D – CD10)

• General contact information: https://payne.house.gov/contact 
• Email: https://payne.house.gov/zip-code-lookup?form=/contact/email-me 
• Mailing address (Washington, D.C.): 106 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
• Mailing address (Newark): 60 Nelson Place, 14th Floor, LeRoy F. Smith, Jr. Public Safety Building, Newark, NJ 07102
• Phone numbers (put them in your speed dial and call — frequently!): 
  • (202) 225-3436
  • (973) 645-3213

THE SENATE

Senator Cory Booker (D – NJ)

• General contact information: https://booker.senate.gov/contact 
• Email: https://www.booker.senate.gov/contact/write-to-cory  
• Mailing address (Washington, D.C.): 717 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510
• Mailing address (Newark): One Gateway Center, 23rd Floor, Newark, NJ 07102
• Phone numbers (put them in your speed dial and call — frequently!): 
  • (202) 224-3224
  • (973) 639-8700

Senator Bob Menendez (D – NJ)

• General contact information: https://menendez.senate.gov/contact 
• Email: https://www.menendez.senate.gov/contact/email  
• Mailing address (Washington, D.C.): 528 Hart Senate Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20510
• Mailing address (Newark): One Gateway Center, 11th Floor, Newark, New Jersey 07102
• Phone numbers (put them in your speed dial and call — frequently!): 
  • (202) 224-4744 
  • (973) 645-3030

Sample postcard scripts

General support of the For the People Act:

¨Dear [Rep. / Senator _________],

I am a voter from [TOWN] and a member of NJ 11th for Change.
I urge you to support the For the People Act (H.R. 1 / S. 1), and ask
you to encourage your colleagues to do the same. We need a government
that works for all of us!

Sincerely, [YOUR NAME]”

Focusing on a specific aspect of the For the People Act: 
(for this example, we focused on minority voting rights.)

¨Dear [Rep. / Senator _________],

I am a voter from [TOWN] and a member of NJ 11th for Change. Please
support the For the People Act (H.R. 1 / S. 1). Ensuring voting rights for
ALL eligible voters is crucial! Stop states from suppressing minority votes! 

Sincerely, [YOUR NAME]”

Sample letter script

(Feel free to duplicate and fill in your own details!)

[DATE]

[NAME OF ELECTED OFFICIAL]
[ADDRESS]

Dear [Rep./Senator NAME],

I am a resident of [TOWN] and a member of NJ11th For Change. I am writing to you in regard to H.R. 1 / S. 1, the For The People Act. Our democracy depends on passing this bill. Voting rights are extremely important to me. I am worried that state legislators across the country will continue to introduce and pass more restrictive voting laws, making it harder for people to vote. There have already been 165 bills introduced in 33 states aimed to make it more difficult to vote. Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy!

[NEXT, TALK ABOUT A SPECIFIC ISSUE RELATED TO THE “FOR THE PEOPLE ACT” THAT MATTERS TO YOU. FOR EXAMPLE:] The current state of minority rule is a big problem. By 2040, 70% of the population will be represented by 30 Senators, and 30% of Americans will have 70 senators representing them. In the House, redistricting is a big concern. Districts cannot be gerrymandered to heavily favor the minority party, or to benefit party bosses. 

[TALK ABOUT A SECOND SPECIFIC ISSUE RELATED TO THE “FOR THE PEOPLE ACT” THAT MATTERS TO YOU. FOR EXAMPLE:] Campaign finance must also be repaired. Our Congress Members should represent the interests of their constituents, not lobbyists representing powerful corporations or wealthy donors. We must use legislative means to counteract the negative effects of the Citizens United decision!

[IF YOU’D LIKE, TALK ABOUT A THIRD SPECIFIC ISSUE RELATED TO THE “FOR THE PEOPLE ACT” THAT MATTERS TO YOU. FOR EXAMPLE:] Lastly, we must eliminate the filibuster. With very slim majorities in both houses, it will be used as a key tool to obstruct popular majorities by requiring 60 votes to pass bills. As a result, GOP senators from 21 small states who represent less than a quarter of the population can thwart bills supported by a clear majority of Americans. In the past, it was mostly used to stop Civil Rights bills from being passed and tends to be used to hurt marginalized populations. Without doing away with the filibuster, we cannot reverse our current problem of minority rule.

The For the People Act is a powerful piece of legislation, and the future of our democracy rides on it. I hope you will cosponsor this bill and consider speaking to your fellow congressmen to secure their votes. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely yours,

[NAME]

[ADDRESS or EMAIL ADDRESS]