When a bill is coming up for a vote and time is so short that a letter sent by mail will not reach your legislator in time, consider using other forms of contact.

Telephone Calls
If you know your legislator extremely well and can expect to get him or her on the phone, you may try calling them. Be aware that you will only have a few minutes for the conversation and that you will need to be concise and exact in expressing your view. If you cannot speak directly to the legislator, leave your message with the secretary.

Overnight Deliveries
To make sure that your views are registered correctly and in writing, consider sending your letter via an overnight express service to the legislator's office.

Faxes
It is generally not recommended that you send materials via fax. They not only use up the legislator's resources but can tie up and delay communications. If your lawmaker requests information, however, send it by fax, provided a hard copy is sent through the mail.

E-mail
With today's technological advancements, e-mail provides instantaneous message delivery. Use the same letter-writing tips in an electronic message as you would in a hard copy format.