How to run district office hours
Oklahoma Representative John Sullivan with constituents, 2006, Janice Waltzer from Owasso, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
If you’re a new staffer, you might’ve heard of professors’ office hours when you were in college. But what about district office hours – what are they, and how can you prepare to host them?
The fundamental idea remains the same: office hours are a time for people to drop by and get personal, one-on-one help from their legislator’s office. Serving constituents is the heart of the work, and learning to run office hours is a key tool in doing so.
Pick local, accessible spots
Libraries and coffee shops (the kind that allow for laptops and conversation) are great options. When you choose a spot, consider accessibility to public transportation.
It’s also best practice to call ahead and let the location know you’re coming.
Have a virtual offering, too
With the onset of COVID-19, many offices began hosting virtual office hours. These can increase accessibility to government for working people and those with mobility issues. Even with in-person activities resuming, it may be a good idea to keep a virtual office hour once a month, in addition to in-person options. You can read our piece on how to run an efficient community zoom for ideas.
Schedule strategically
We recommend starting with twice-monthly, in-person office hours. Have varying hours, for example one from 7-9 am and one from 6-8 pm, to incorporate a wider variety of constituent schedules.
It varies district to district, but you can usually expect a slow trickle of attendees. Don’t be disappointed if no one shows up – you may find that your district only needs one office hour per month. On the flip side, if office hours are crowded, you might expand to weekly options.
Advertise widely
Office hours are no help if no one knows! Advertise widely on social media, and post flyers at local stores and cafés. In your materials, note that office hours are a time to get one-on-one support. You should also notify active community groups among your contacts, who can spread the word.
Try to advertise the month’s schedule as early as you can (at least a week before) so that people can plan ahead, and continue posting reminders to social media.
Bring materials with you
It’s a good idea to bring physical materials with you for constituents to look at and take home. You could pack newspaper articles about the legislator’s recent activity, 1-pagers explaining a bill or policy position, or run-throughs of processes that can seem bureaucratic or stressful, such as claiming unemployment.
Be up to speed on the issues
It goes without saying that as a representative of your legislator, you should be aware of the highest priority concerns for your district. Legislata’s tracking and tagging features allow you to easily sort data on what issues and bills your office is getting contacted about most frequently. Look this over beforehand to get a sense of what is most likely to get asked, and prepare accordingly.
How Legislata helps
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