Speaking at a Town Hall meeting

A large and well-informed turnout at a town hall meeting or a community forum is an extremely effective way of sending a strong message to your elected officials and the media (and, hence, the general public) that will likely attend.

If your lawmaker is supportive of your issue, a show of support helps to solidify his or her position.

In general, when attending and speaking at town meetings, conduct yourself as you would when testifying at a hearing and/or meeting with your elected officials.

Before the Town Meeting…

1. Try to recruit several others to attend the meeting with you. Be sure to inform them of the date, time, address, and nature of the meeting.
2. Think about how the elected official will likely respond to your questions and prepare in advance what follow-up questions should be asked.

At the Town Meeting…

1. Keep your comments brief, clear, and to the point.  Be firm, but don't be rude.