Date
Name of political party leader/candidate
Address of political party headquarters
Dear Title and Name of political leader/candidate:
Introduce yourself and identify issue(s)
Introduce yourself and provide a brief reason/purpose for your letter (e.g., to express a concern or make a recommendation). Mention that you are a constituent (voter in the riding) because candidates will pay more attention to concerns coming from the people they represent. This is also a good place to mention your credentials as a nurse to give your points extra credibility. Describe why you are interested in the issue(s)/concern(s) you raised.
Request information and suggest solution(s)
Ask for information/clarification on your candidate/political party’s position on your identified issue(s)/concern(s). Ask open-ended questions to prompt them to tell you what they are planning to do to rectify your concern(s). Open-ended questions should ask “how” or “when” they will respond or act. This is also a good place to insert your recommendation for action so they can consider your suggestion when crafting their response. Make sure to give a rationale for your recommendation to make it more powerful.
Offer thanks and request a response
Thank the candidate/political party for any positive action they may have already taken toward resolving the concern (but also gently remind them that there is still work/action required to fully resolve the concern). Request that the candidate/party respond to your letter.
Closing
Salutation (thank you, sincerely, regards, etc.),
Your Name
Your address and postal code (to again highlight that you are a voter in their riding)