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David McGuire
Washtech.com Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 8, 2002; 1:43 PM

The very real threat of anthrax-laced letters hasn't changed the fact that lawmakers prefer that their constituents send them physical letters, rather than e-mail messages, according to a new study.

In an April poll of congressional offices, Capitol Hill staffers by a margin of 5-1 said they preferred standard mail to e-mail as a means of communicating with constituents.

Conducted by online political adverting firm Mindshare Internet Campaigns, the electronic poll surveyed about 90 congressional staffers.

"These results indicate that even in the wake of anthrax, Congressional offices continue to prefer snail mail," Mindshare cofounder Jonah Seiger said in a press release. "It is clear that congressional staff struggle with how to handle constituent e-mail."

Despite the cost effectiveness of sending and receiving e-mail, congressional staffers indicated that personal visits and physical letters are a much more effective means of voicing concerns and getting the attention of lawmakers, Seiger said.

Mindshare is at http://www.mindshare.net .