Toolkit: Demystifying the Legislative Process

So you’re ready to advocate, now what? Follow the map below to find out.

If you do your research on the issue, reflect on your personal experience with it, and prepare a 3-5-minute story that concludes with a clear ask, you will already be on your way to creating change.

You might find allies to join you in your efforts, or you might be the single change-maker, either is fine. When you schedule a meeting, you might meet with a staff member of the legislator’s instead of the legislator themself, this is normal. At any time, you can also try to coordinate a meeting with a legislator you have researched who is more supportive of the issue, or who has a personal tie to it. This can be quite an effective strategy.

If you feel overwhelmed or if barriers to access exist that prevent you from participating in a meeting, you can ask for accommodations before the meeting, or upon arrival. The individual with whom you meet will typically ask you to give a brief introduction and then describe the issue that brought you to their office. This is where the storytelling guide on the next page comes in handy.