Attend a Town Hall
What is a town hall?
Town hall meetings are community meetings conducted by many different representatives from both the State and Federal Governments. At these meetings, attendees can ask the town hall host questions directly. Typically these meetings are semi-structured. At some town halls, you submit your questions when you arrive, and the host will answer questions that are randomly drawn. Other times, there will be a time for questions and you can raise your hand to ask one. Some meetings have a theme or topic that they want to specifically discuss, while others are completely open for public discussion. The benefits of Town Hall meetings are plentiful, but they do require your time and attention. However, they provide a great forum to enact real change.
What do I do in a town hall meeting?
What you do in a town hall meeting depends on what your goals and interests are. For example, if you’re curious on how town hall meetings work, you might go to one just to get a feel for how they work. On the other hand, if you are passionate about a given issue, you might go to voice your concerns about it. The best way to voice your concerns is by asking the host questions. If you want to speak in a town hall, there are a few basic rules of etiquette that you should follow:
Checklist for success
Now that you know what’s possible in a town hall, here’s a helpful checklist for before, during, and after the meeting:
Before
Town hall meetings are community meetings conducted by many different representatives from both the State and Federal Governments. At these meetings, attendees can ask the town hall host questions directly. Typically these meetings are semi-structured. At some town halls, you submit your questions when you arrive, and the host will answer questions that are randomly drawn. Other times, there will be a time for questions and you can raise your hand to ask one. Some meetings have a theme or topic that they want to specifically discuss, while others are completely open for public discussion. The benefits of Town Hall meetings are plentiful, but they do require your time and attention. However, they provide a great forum to enact real change.
- Click here to locate an upcoming Town Hall in your community.
What do I do in a town hall meeting?
What you do in a town hall meeting depends on what your goals and interests are. For example, if you’re curious on how town hall meetings work, you might go to one just to get a feel for how they work. On the other hand, if you are passionate about a given issue, you might go to voice your concerns about it. The best way to voice your concerns is by asking the host questions. If you want to speak in a town hall, there are a few basic rules of etiquette that you should follow:
- Be respectful to the host. They will be much more willing to hear your concerns if you are nice to them.
- Wait your turn to ask questions. Some town hall meetings will have a number system or other way of organizing the questions.
- Rather than asking for an opinion from the host, ask what they are going to do about your issue of concern. This will encourage them to give you a more concrete answer.
- Be nice to fellow town hall attendees, you’re all in this together.
Checklist for success
Now that you know what’s possible in a town hall, here’s a helpful checklist for before, during, and after the meeting:
Before
- Have an issue in mind that you want to ask about.
- Do some research on the issue.
- Come up with a question you want to ask the host.
- Plan how you will respond to the host’s response.
- Ask your question. Remember: other people are probably wondering the same thing.
- Respect everyone else in attendance, including the host.
- Look for other people who care about the same issue. You may want to work together in the future.
- Don’t leave too quickly! The host may stick around afterward and give you the opportunity to speak face to face.
- Speak to others who care about your issue. You may be the start of a new social movement.
- Check in with yourself. How do you feel? Satisfied? Disappointed? Relieved?