Using Your Voice Beyond the Ballot Box: Tools and Strategies for Effective Advocacy

Photography By: Amanda Gray

In the last blog post, we explored the power of your voice in democracy, from the importance of voting to identifying and connecting with your elected representatives. We also discussed how your engagement doesn't end at the ballot box, but can continue through direct communication with lawmakers and active participation in key issues.

Now, in Part 2, we’ll take your advocacy to the next level. We'll provide you with the tools and strategies you need to make your voice even more impactful—from crafting powerful letters to leveraging social media and apps. Let’s dive into the practical steps you can take to shape the policies that matter most to you and your community.

Engaging at the Local Level for Effective Advocacy

While the General Elections get most of the fanfare, did you realize that most elections occur in your local area or Home of Record? Governors, Attorneys, Mayors, Town Clerks, Council members, School Board Members, Sheriffs, County Treasurer, and other positions leave a huge impact on our quality of life. Ballotpedia has a comprehensive website with an updated calendar of each local region's election schedule and calendar. Check out the current elections calendar so you don’t miss an opportunity to vote in local or federal elections.

local elections calendar from Ballotpedia

Letter and Email Writing Tips: How and When to Write

Writing a letter to your elected officials is a powerful way to make your voice heard and influence the decisions that impact your community. When drafting your letter: be clear and concise—get to the point early, and stay focused on one issue. Start by introducing yourself and explaining your constituent connection to that office as soon as possible. Then go into why the issue matters to you personally. Ideally, at the end of the letter, you want them to come to the same conclusion as you, to be your advocate, for your ideas to make sense to them personally. This concept is best taught through Janie Bowman and Pete Wright’s “The Letter to the Stranger”, a specific concept that can assist in letter writing when you are addressing a stranger, but you want them to help you, see you, and understand your perspectives. While the scope is special education, it is an amazing tool if you really want to learn to craft powerful letters.

It’s important to be respectful and professional, even if you strongly disagree with their position. Be specific about what action you want them to take, whether it’s supporting or opposing a bill, or addressing a concern in your district. It’s also helpful to include relevant facts, but keep your tone positive and constructive. While timing can vary depending on the issue, sending a letter when a bill is being debated or when there’s a public call for feedback is often most effective. Your letter can make a real difference in shaping policy and letting officials know what their constituents care about.

Resources for Letter Writing

Action Network: https://help.actionnetwork.org/hc/en-us
Action Network Letter Campaigns: https://help.actionnetwork.org/hc/en-us/articles/203846415-What-are-letter-campaigns

Using Social Media to Advocate

The social media landscape is rapidly evolving and diversifying. There are plenty of ways to stay active and engaged in your community between election cycles while balancing your digital wellness. Staying up to date on town, city, state, regional, and national issues is a challenge. Make an email specifically for civic engagement and sign up for your elected official(s) email newsletters or follow them on social media. Join groups rather than scroll and check them regularly. Take this opportunity to diversify your media toolbox by trying out evolving communication platforms such as podcasts, Substack, Patreon, LinkedIn, or Discord. Follow field experts, local elected officials, human rights advocacy groups, authors, global news outlets, and fact-checking or media bias-checking sites such as Politifact.

Brushing up on Civic Education

Did your eyes glaze over during civics lessons when you were a teenager? Do you feel the need to brush up on your civics classes? There are lots of ways to self-educate through a plethora of resources. Free micro-lesson courses can get you up to speed and feel confident about how our American government operates on the federal, state, and local levels.

Civic Education Resources:

Civics for Life: https://civicsforlife.org/civics-101/
Civics for Life Mircolessons: https://civics101.civicsforlife.org/
iCivics: https://ed.icivics.org

Apps Make Politics and Letter Writing Easy, Plus They Are Free!

5 Calls: Contact Your Congress

Calling your Government on the phone can make a difference. Calling is the one of most effective ways to influence your representatives. Spend 5 minutes, make 5 calls.

The Dome Watch app is a tool that allows users to track and engage with the activities of the U.S. Congress, specifically focusing on legislation, bills, and government proceedings.

Pocket Congress makes information on the actions of your representatives and Congress as a whole much more accessible and searchable. With the app, you can: see recent bills in Congress, find your Representative using your zip code, follow bills & receive updates on their progress, see Congress members’ votes on recent bills, read a brief description about them, and view trends about how they vote, and call their office, straight from the app!

C-SPAN NOW allows you to watch live and on-demand C-SPANS’s coverage of politics around the world through livestreams of floor proceedings and hearings, coverage on current events, podcasts, and more.

C-SPAN Radio allows you to listen to commercial-free radio streams from 4 C-SPAN Networks.

Non-Profit Organizations for the Military-Connected Community

Military-connected communities should be aware of non-profit organizations that align with their political beliefs because these organizations play a vital role in advocating for issues that directly impact service members, veterans, and their families. By uniting behind these non-profits, voices are amplified, fostering change through collective action. When military-connected individuals come together in support of a shared cause, they strengthen the advocacy efforts of these organizations, helping to influence policy decisions and create meaningful progress in areas such as healthcare, benefits, and veterans' rights. A unified voice is a powerful tool for driving change.

Military Advocacy Nonprofits

Five & Thrive brings military leaders, community partners, and military families together to tackle the top five quality of life issues: Childcare, Education, Healthcare, Housing, and Spouse Employment.
National Military Family Association: Since 1969, NMFA has provided the latest news, information, research, programs, and events relevant to today's military families.
Modern Military Association of America: A united voice for LGBTQ+ military and veteran communities working to uphold and expand the civil rights progress through education, advocacy, support networks, and discrimination tracking.
Secure Families Initiative (SFI): Nonpartisan organization for diverse military partners, parents, kids, and loved ones to be voters and advocates on big issues that impact all of us. Big emphasis on foreign policy and civil rights.
Military Kids-Special Education Alliance: Works to create true positive change for military children in DoD and public education so they can achieve their highest educational potential. Their Facebook group is invaluable to parents! Join the conversation.
Partners in Promise: Serves as a representative voice for Exceptional Military Family Members (EFMP).
Military Trans Rights: Resources and information for transgender service members.

Stay Informed

Engaging with the political process and voicing your concerns beyond the ballot box is not only a right but a powerful way to ensure that the needs of the military community are heard. Whether you’re voting from abroad, reaching out to your elected representatives, or actively participating in the legislative process through tools like letter writing or advocacy groups, your voice can shape policy and make a lasting impact. By staying informed and using the resources available to you, you can become an active participant in the democracy that affects you and those around you. Remember, every letter, every call, and every action counts—so make sure your voice is always heard!

Sources

Kronenberg, A. (2024, November 15). How Many People Didn’t Vote in the 2024 Election? US News. Retrieved February 19, 2025, from https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2024-11-15/how-many-people-didnt-vote-in-the-2024-election

United States Senate Committee on Armed Services (n.d.). 118th Congress Subcommittees. Retrieved February 19, 2025, from https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/subcommittees

*The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.