Please note that because we are a very visible target for spam and malicious attacks, we use powerful anti-virus programs. Unfortunately, they occasionally reject legitimate e-mails. Here are a few things you can do to help your message get through quickly and successfully:

• Type your message directly into the e-mail; our security programs may reject messages with attachments - and even if the attachments get through, we've been advised not to open attachments unless they are something we were expecting from a sender we know
• Use plain text without animation, colored backgrounds or other enhancements
• Put a subject in the subject line (a descriptive subject such as "question about LD 123" is better than "Hello" because the subject makes it more obvious to the recipient that it is a real message; it also makes it easier for the legislator to find your message again when he or she has further information to send you)
• Send the message directly to your Representative and/or Senator
• if you're not sure who that is, check the Find Your Legislator link
• we can only forward messages to individual Representatives, not to all members
• if the message is urgent, the fastest way to reach your representative is usually by telephone - messages for House members can be left at the Clerk's Office:
• (207) 287-1400
• in-state toll-free (800) 423-2900
• TTY (207) 287-4469

• Messages sent to a large number of people could be coded as spam and might not be delivered; it's often more effective to send a personalized message to one or two members than a general statement to everyone
• If you want a reply, please make sure your e-mail program is set up to accept e-mails
• E-mails that do not specify the intended recipient or the town of the sender can not be delivered; if your e-mail program will let us reply, we'll let you know that additional information is needed