How to Attend a Town Hall Meeting
Be the chemist in the crowd!
Find Your Policymaker's Name and Contact Information
- Members of Congress want to hear from their constituents and won't pay much attention to someone else's voters.
Learn when your legislator's next public event will take place.
- Visit your policymakers' websites to learn more about their upcoming schedule.
- Sign up for email alerts and check often, especially when Congress is in recess.
- Home district events are sometimes announced last minute. Make sure to be in the loop!
- Home district events are sometimes announced last minute. Make sure to be in the loop!
Plan what you want to say at the meeting.
- Prepare a few concise questions about your priorities (e.g. funding for chemistry, STEM education, etc.) so you have one ready to go if you get picked.
- Be aware that town hall events usually attract local media attention, so you may end up on the nightly news!
Attend the meeting.
- Make sure to show up early as events can fill up fast.
- Bring along fellow ACS members or friends to increase your visibility and the chance that one of you gets a question in.
- Be polite and direct: avoid long preambles that distract from the heart of your question.
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