You've got something to say. Maybe you’re fired up about a new policy, or perhaps you just want to share a personal story about how a specific law changed your life. Whatever it is, you've decided on writing a letter to the President of the United States. It feels big. It feels official. But honestly, most people just scream into the digital void and wonder why they never hear back.
Writing to the Commander-in-Chief isn't just about venting; it’s about navigating a massive bureaucratic machine designed to sort, read, and respond to thousands of messages every single day.
I’m going to be real with you. The President probably isn't going to read your letter over breakfast. Joe Biden—or whoever is occupying the Oval Office at the time you hit "send"—has a literal army of staffers and interns whose entire job is to handle the Office of Presidential Correspondence. But that doesn't mean your voice doesn't matter. These staffers tally up opinions. They look for "representative" stories. If you do it right, your words might actually end up in a daily briefing memo.
The White House Mailroom Reality Check
The Office of Presidential Correspondence is one of the oldest and most "human" parts of the White House. It's located in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. It’s a beehive.
Every day, the mail arrives in bins. We’re talking thousands of physical letters and tens of thousands of emails. During the Obama administration, the President famously requested ten letters a day to read personally—a tradition that has seen various iterations in the years since. To be one of those ten? You have to be clear. You have to be compelling. You have to be respectful, even if you’re frustrated.
If you’re writing a letter to the President of the United States just to use four-letter words, you're wasting a stamp. Security screenings are intense. Physical mail is often irradiated to check for biohazards, which can actually delay your letter by weeks and sometimes make the paper feel a bit crispy.
Choosing your medium carefully
Should you go digital or old-school?
Email is fast. You go to the White House website, fill out the contact form, and it’s done. It’s efficient for the staff because they can categorize your "vote" on an issue instantly. But there is something to be said for the handwritten note. It shows effort. It shows you sat down and took the time to put pen to paper. In a world of AI-generated spam, a real human hand writing on a real piece of paper stands out to the young interns sorting the mail.
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How to structure your message for actual impact
Don't start with "Hey." Use the formal greeting: "Mr. President" or "Madam President." It sounds stuffy, sure, but the goal is to be taken seriously.
Get to the point immediately.
The first sentence should state exactly why you are writing. "I am writing to urge you to support the new environmental bill" or "I want to share how the recent changes in healthcare have affected my family in Ohio." If you bury the lead under three paragraphs of your personal biography, the intern's eyes will glaze over. They have a quota to hit. Help them help you.
Keep it to one page. Seriously. If it’s longer than one page, it’s not a letter; it’s a manifesto. Nobody in Washington has time for a manifesto.
Focus on one issue. Don't complain about taxes, foreign policy, and the potholes on your street all in one go. Pick the thing that matters most to you.
The power of the personal story
Data is boring to a politician. They have advisors who give them data all day long. What they don't have is your specific experience.
Instead of saying "Inflation is bad," explain how the price of eggs has forced you to change how you feed your kids. Instead of saying "We need better veteran care," talk about your wait time at the local VA hospital. Specificity creates empathy. Empathy gets letters moved from the "generic" pile to the "must-read" pile.
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Technical details you can't skip
If you’re sending a physical letter, use this address:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
If you use the online form, make sure your contact information is 100% accurate. If they decide to send a canned response or—on the rare occasion—a personalized one, they need to know where to send it.
Don't send gifts.
Seriously. People try to send books, bibles, homemade cookies, and even more "interesting" items. Because of security protocols and the Gift Reform Act, the President usually can't keep them anyway. Most of it gets sent to the National Archives or, in the case of food, straight to the trash for safety reasons. You aren't going to buy influence with a plate of brownies.
What happens after you hit send?
The process is pretty fascinating. The Office of Presidential Correspondence uses a mix of automated sorting and human review.
- The Sort: Letters are categorized by topic (Economy, Education, Health, etc.).
- The Tally: Staffers track how many people are writing "pro" vs "con" on a specific topic. This data is actually used in briefings.
- The Response: Most people get a standard form letter signed by a mechanical "autopen" that mimics the President's signature.
- The Exception: A small handful of letters are selected to be seen by senior staff or the President themselves.
If you get a response, it might take months. Don't be discouraged. The wheels of government turn slowly, and the volume of mail fluctuates wildly based on what’s happening in the news. During a crisis, the mail volume can triple overnight.
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Why you shouldn't just write to the President
Here is a little secret about writing a letter to the President of the United States: your local Representative or Senator probably has more direct power over your daily life.
The President is the face of the country, but the person representing your specific zip code in Congress has a much smaller "constituency." Your letter carries more weight in a local office than it does at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. If you really want something changed, write to the President, but CC your Senators.
Final tips for success
Don't use all caps. It looks like you're shouting.
Check your spelling. You don't need a PhD to write a letter, but you want to look like a serious person.
Be polite. Even if you despise every policy the current administration has put forward, being rude is the fastest way to get your letter ignored. The person reading your letter is likely a 21-year-old college grad or a volunteer. They aren't the ones making the policy, so treating them with basic human decency goes a long way.
Include a clear "ask." What do you want the President to do? Veto a bill? Sign an executive order? Simply listen? Make sure the "ask" is clear and at the end of the letter.
Next Steps for Writing Your Letter
If you are ready to make your voice heard, start by drafting your message in a simple text document first. Focus on a single, clear narrative that connects your personal life to a national issue. Once you’ve polished it down to under 500 words, decide whether you want to use the White House Contact Form for speed or the postal service for a more traditional feel. If you choose the mail, ensure you use a plain white envelope and include your return address clearly. Your perspective is a data point in the story of the country—make sure it's counted.