Here's How To Make Sure Congress Hears You

Start local, call often.

The results of this year’s presidential election have been incredibly polarizing.

If you’re in the camp of feeling helpless or overwhelmed, countless people have spoken up to highlight ways you can take action and move forward.

Emily Ellsworth is one of them.

A freelance writer, editor and social media marketer from Salt Lake City, Ellsworth recently shared her expertise on Twitter about how to get the attention of your local congressional representative.

The 30-year-old cut her teeth in Congress by working in the district offices of Utah Reps. Jason Chaffetz and Chris Stewart, and “acting as a liaison for people and the federal agencies they needed help with.”

Ellsworth sent out a series of tweets on Nov. 11 to let inquiring minds know how they can get involved with Congress and have their voices heard:

Because the tweets have garnered some serious social traction over the past few days, Ellsworth put them all together via Storify for your reading pleasure.

The series of tweets chronicles her time in Congress, what actions taken by constituents were effective and ineffective, and that your calls do matter.

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Ellsworth said she was prompted to tweet after seeing people in her feed talking about the next steps they could take after the election.

“From my experience, I knew that not many people had ever contacted their congressional representatives,” she told The Huffington Post. “I hoped I could pull back the curtain on what it’s like to be on the other end of the phone.”

Ellsworth’s advice on what to do has been so helpful that one reader even turned her words into a printable page you can give to your less tech-savvy friends and family.

Ellsworth, a Republican and a Mormon, voted for and supported Hillary Clinton publicly ― a decision that led to difficulties for her professionally, at home and beyond. Ellsworth went into detail about the struggle of being vocal for Clinton in an episode last week of “This American Life.

The responses to her tweets from the past several days have been “overwhelming and inspiring,” she told HuffPost, showing her she’s is not alone in her struggle.

“I hope everyone takes a little time in the next few weeks to research more about how their congressional offices work and how they can make their voice heard,” she said. “Your representative doesn’t know what you’re thinking unless you tell them in some way. I also hope that people who are angry and motivated will get involved with local advocacy groups to maximize their impact.”

Another tweet from Ellsworth on Monday afternoon sums up how we can all move forward: “Spend your time on the things that matter and focus your voice on the people who have the power to make that change.”

Before You Go

Help With Federal Agencies

What Your Members Of Congress Can Do For You

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