Raising FCNL Issues in an Election Year

It is hard to avoid hearing about candidates running for elected office when you read the newspaper, turn on the television or open your email. You may or may not have opportunities to meet the candidates in person, but most of us have opportunities to have our voices heard. In the past many FCNL constituents have had a chance to interact with candidates.

FCNL does not support or oppose individual candidates for elected office. We do encourage everyone to let candidates for elected office know their concerns and hear their perspective on those issues.

However you approach the candidates running for office, the questions that FCNL offers in this newsletter can help you. Your question, whether asked in your own letter to the candidates; a letter from your Quaker meeting, church or community group; a letter to the editor or at a candidates forum can influence the candidates and also help educate other people in your community about an issue.

Writing Letters to the Candidates

We encourage you to write your own letters to candidates and consider organizing a collective letter from influential people in your community. While you may or may not get a response to your question, your letter will let the candidate know that people in his or her area are concerned about a particular issue and want to see it addressed.

• You can find postal addresses for congressional and presidential candidates and email them directly through FCNL’s website. Go to our website and put your address in the box labeled “My Races” to find information on your candidates.
• We have sample letters already set up for the questions in this newsletter.

Writing Letters to the Editor

Any of the questions in this newsletter can be the basis for a letter to the editor of your local newspaper.

• Include the names of the candidates in your letter to increase the chances that they will see it.
• You can send your letter through FCNL’s website.

Meeting Candidates in Person

• If you’re able to attend a candidate forum or speak to a candidate directly, you may have only a few minutes to ask a question.

Check candidate websites or call their campaign offices to find out when candidates are holding public events.

• Decide ahead of time what question you want to ask. Practice saying it out loud.
• Ask a question that reaches past the rhetoric to get to a candidate’s perspective on an issue and that gives an idea of why you are concerned about this issue.
• Listen carefully to the answer the candidate gives. Remember that in some cases you may be educating the candidate about an issue just by asking the question.
• Thank the candidate for his or her response.