By Marianne Lincoln

Here are some ideas that can help you add your voice to the great world of politics.

1) Attend meetings and speak out at the microphone 3 minutes

2) Speak with your representative before or after a meeting

3) Call your representative’s office

4) Write and email or letter to your representative

5) Write an editorial in the local newspaper

6) Write and editorial on a blog

7) Post on social media

8) Meet with your representative in a scheduled meeting

9) Attend political events for your representative’s party

10) Be a donor for your representative

11) Create a group and hold meetings about an issue and use group weight to send messages to your representative

12) Create a petition and take it door to door

13) Create an Initiative Petition and collect signatures

14) Know where to look up the names and contact info on your representatives

15) Know how to track who is funding their election campaigns, PDC, FEC, PACs

16) Read up on clearing houses for legislation tracking (GovTrack.us) or (WashingtonVotes.org)

17) Know where to find their agendas, minutes and video of meetings

18) Know which local paper prints public notices

19) Know where to find the letter of the law, U.S. Code, RCW’s, Statutes, Regulations