How to Throw a Postcard-Writing Party
Other than voting, writing postcards to your local lawmakers is one of the easiest ways to participate in US democracy and let your voice be heard. I’m helping organize a larger postcard-writing event in my town, so I recently hosted a potluck with friends to help me prepare. The main lesson I learned? Make everything as easy as possible for your guests. Here are five tips for hosting your own postcard-writing party.
Get your supplies together. Unless you announce it’s BYOP, you’ll want to provide the postcards. If you're a fan of The Women’s March, you can use the graphic they provide. You can also design your own cards through online shops like Vistaprint or use store-bought postcards. Think about whether you’ll provide pens and stamps as well. You can always ask guests to chip in for these supplies.
Provide the names and addresses of local lawmakers. Create a list of your senators, federal representatives, and state representatives with their addresses. (I like to include the DC address as well as the address for at least one local office.) On the list, include the legislators’ political parties and maybe a few bullet points about where they stand on hot-button issues.
Write up a one-page guide about how-to write a postcard. If you want, you can just crib this language.
Include your name and address somewhere on the postcard.
In the first line, mention you are registered to vote in the lawmaker’s district. (Super duper important!)
Quickly double check how your lawmakers lean on an issue. If they agree with you, thank them for their support, especially when they are vote against the party line. If they don’t, let them know you disagree and are watching.
Don’t worry about overwhelming a note with statistics. Share your opinion in a firm, polite, thoughtful way.
If you have a personal story that relates to an issue, use that. It’s more powerful than general text.
Provide sample language. People are chatty at parties, so make postcard writing easy by suggesting a few sentences. For example, when I hosted, a friend wrote, "Affordable healthcare is not a luxury—it is a necessity. Please work for those whose options are limited by their income. Healthy citizens = a productive, great nation." Short and opinionated. That’s all you need.
Share your party. Inspire friends and followers to have a postcard-writing potluck by sharing it on social media. If you’re on Instagram, tag the photo with #potlucknation. ☺