Writing Activity: How to Write a Letter to the State Governor About a Concern
People who have a concern may feel the need to write a letter to their state Governor. Just as with any letter written to an elected official, a letter to the state Governor should be professional and polite. Your opinion on a particular issue may greatly differ from the Governor's, but it's still necessary to write a professional letter.
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Instructions
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Perform research about the specific topic that the letter to the Governor will be focused on. The letter should exhibit knowledge of the subject instead of pure emotion. If necessary, include the specific name and number of the bill that the letter focuses on.
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Address the letter to, "The Honorable [first and last name of the Governor]." Begin the letter by writing, "Dear Governor [last name]."
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Pen a rough draft that will be edited, revised and rewritten. A professional letter will have at least one draft before the final copy. It's sometimes necessary to write the first draft, take a day away from the letter and come back to it with fresh eyes in order to revise it.
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Introduce yourself in the first paragraph. State your name, geographical location and credentials. If you don't have credentials that relate to the issue written about in the letter, simply mention your job title.
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Explain the issues or concerns that you have with the topic at hand. Try not to stray far from the topic. The letter should be clear and focused. Go on to write your suggestion for how the Governor should handle the situation. The letter may expand to three or more paragraphs, depending on how much there is to say.
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Close the letter by both typing and signing your full name. Include your contact information, such as your full name, mailing address, e-mail address and phone number at the bottom of the letter, underneath the closing.
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Proofread the letter before finalizing it, printing it and mailing it out. Ensure that there aren't spelling, punctuation or grammatical errors. Also, make sure that the point of the letter is clear to the reader. It may be best to have a second pair of eyes read over the letter to catch mistakes and to check for clarity.
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Tips & Warnings
Try to keep your emotions out of the letter. Your viewpoint will be more clearly understood if negative emotions are left out.
Professional letters to state governors should be typed instead of handwritten. They're more professional and legible when typed.
References
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