As we mentioned last week, our Gold Mouse Award researchers have their jobs cut out for them, reviewing 92 criteria for each of the 538 Member office sites (there were three vacant seats). (Review our detailed methodology here in PDF.) Needless to say, it stands out when an office is doing something online that others are not. That’s why we wanted to highlight these features – they may not seem innovative by some standards, but their novelty on the Hill is worth sharing in the hope that other offices get creative and inspired in their own communications with constituents.

Here are 5 examples of House Members innovating online:

• ASK A REP.: Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA) posts the “Question of the Week,” picking one question from a constituent to publicly answer. 

• DESKTOP SOAPBOX: Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and her “LeeTV media player” allow users to pick an issue and watch videos of the Congresswoman speaking about that issue.

• SIMPLE SURVEY: Rep. David Loebsack (D-IA) uses a set of simple surveys to ask users what they think about the most important issues facing Congress, and their opinions on what should be done on particular issues. 

• CASE CLOSED: Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA) shares “Constituent Success Stories” with real life examples of casework and their outcome. 

• AGREE/DISAGREE: Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX) allows users researching his views and record on an issue to share their views on the topic with the office. Sometimes it is as simple as “Do you agree or disagree?

Is your office doing something innovative online? Let us know in the comments below, and we may feature your site in a future post!