I guess I have more than one question. I hope that’s okay.
Let’s say there’s a specific bill up for votes.
At what point in the legislative process is it too late for a constituent to contact their representative via telephone or email? If the vote is happening later that day, is there any chance that counts?
That week?
Is there some kind of schedule posted that shows what votes are coming up at what time? Or even a newsletter or app?
I’m asking this as a chronic procrastinator who wants to become more politically engaged. When I hear a vote is happening “soon,” it means nothing to me and I start rationalizing “Oh, it’s too late.”
Also, could you theoretically contact a representative about every single bill, separately, or is there some kind of limit on the number of calls/emails that will be tallied?
How does this process actually work? “Gosh, we’re receiving lots of calls against this bill, better not vote on it.”
Or, “We’ve received 10,000 for and 20,000 against.”
Or, “Wow, this one email was really persuasive!”
Does it make sense to contact a rep you know will vote in your favor? Does it make sense to contact about an issue you know nobody else is calling about? Do you try to appeal to the politics of the representative even if you don’t share them? For example, “I oppose the bill because it will add to the deficit” vs “I oppose the bill because it will exacerbate poverty” when you know that politician cares more about the deficit than poverty.
I appreciate any resources you can send my way.