If you’d like to persuade thousands of people in your community to vote a certain way, then doing so is easier than you might think.

Here’s why:

One of the fastest and easiest ways to influence mass numbers of people in your community is with a simple “letter to the editor” in your local newspapers.

People read these letters every single day of the week, in big cities and small towns alike.

And a well crafted letter to the editor often influences the way people in your city, county and state vote on an issue.

And guess what?

If you have at least the “basics” of copywriting down, you can write a short letter to the editor of your local newspaper, and potentially persuade thousands of people to your side of a political issue.

In fact, all you really have to do is tell a simple story.

A brief, one or two paragraph story can pry open even the most tightly-closed mind — and literally change the entire way a person thinks about an issue.

A perfect example of this is a story from radio talk show host Michael Savage’s book “The Enemy Within” about his first job fresh out of college as a social worker.

He was dead broke, living in a tiny apartment, and was sleeping on a mattress on the floor with two orange crates as lamp stands and no other furniture.

And yet, the welfare clients he was helping got free beds, free coffee tables, free sofas, etc — all the things most people have to work their fingers to the bone for — without working, and on the taxpayer’s dime.

This short, simple story perfectly illustrated his point about why the system is so flawed.

No complicated statistics or expensive government studies were needed to make his point.

That’s the power of stories.

They open closed minds.

Let you “say” more with fewer words.

And give people the chance to convince themselves your point is valid — without lecturing, arguing or confrontation.

And if you use this “power” correctly… you’ll give “your side” in a political debate an enormous advantage when election time rolls around.

For example…

Do you see rampant corruption, perversion and bureaucratic unaccountability rotting your community’s schools?

Want to stop your local officials from trying to seize your property by abusing eminent domain laws?

Are you angry with the way your state politicians are voting and spending your tax money?

Then simply grab a pen and paper, hammer out a simple story that illustrates your point, and submit it to the letters to the editor section of your newspaper.

But don’t stop there.

Send it to everyone and anyone who will listen.

Mail it to your mayor, city council, state congressman and senator.

Email it to your neighbors, friends and family.

Post it on community bulletin boards, blogs and Internet forums.

Look, it may not work all the time.

It may not even work some of the time.

But when it does work, you can influence the hearts and minds of thousands of people.