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Old 07-15-2016, 07:20 PM
 
Location: Washington Township
3 posts, read 3,817 times
Reputation: 10

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Hi,

I am very curious if it is legal to go door to door for political purposes. Such as going to SPECIFIC households for a republican candidate running for a public position. (Congress). (And also, the households have voted republicans in the past/are registered replublicans.) I believe it's called "canvassing". I'm not going to sell anything, nor' asking for political donations.

Trying to spread the word about a candidate. And get his name more familiar with the voters.



Also; if it's legal for doing this, are you allowed to go to subdivisions that have no soliciting sign?
I drove through a subdivision that had no soliciting sign at the enterance, and I saw other political signs (for local politics). And 2 of the people's signs on people's property I have seen them personally going door to door in the area's subvidisions. (Even the one I was in! As I live in a subdivision with a no soliciting sign at the enterance, and the 2 other candidates running for local positions (and one federal) went door to door in my sub, and even went to our door!).


I've done some searching and have seen that political canvassing is not soliciting and is perfectly legal to go to specific homes for political reasons.

This is in the Macomb County/Oakland County area.

TLDR; Is it legal to go door to door for political reasons NOT ASKING for any donations.?

Thanks!!!
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Old 07-16-2016, 08:54 AM
 
1,648 posts, read 3,271,260 times
Reputation: 1445
Yes. Soliciting refers to asking for money/donations/purchase of goods-services.

Even if you have a "no soliciting" sign one can still knock on your door. That's what Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses do.

The United States Supreme Court has consistently upheld a constitutional right to knock on someone’s door as a form of free speech as long as it is within normal waking hours (e.g. not 3am) without the need to get a permit etc.

https://scholar.google.com/scholar_c...804874&scilh=0 - Excerpt from the SC case.
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Old 07-16-2016, 02:22 PM
 
Location: Metro Detroit
1,786 posts, read 2,665,313 times
Reputation: 3604
Quote:
Originally Posted by belleislerunner View Post
...That's what Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses do...
If the Mormons come by, please be nice to them - they're just brainwashed 19 year old kids who don't know any better , maybe ask them to do your yardwork or to help with a project. I can promise you they'd be happier doing that than having to harass more strangers about their version of Jesus. Then as they help you, introduce them to concepts such as how happy you are without Mormonism or how most religious people have felt some sort of confirmation that their religion is right for them. Inspire them to research topics like polyandry and racism in the church or to learn what an anachronism is. Offer them a Pepsi afterward or if you're younger maybe invite 'em over to play video games or watch a movie with you (all things they're not allowed to do for two years). Then just maybe they'll see how normal you are, go back to Utah, reevaluate their life and beliefs, be disowned by their family and friends for doing so, and then end up in Michigan - a beautiful place where they can learn to further discover themselves and be free!

Oh and ... yeah, totally legal. Just... make sure to rattle fences to check for dogs, don't stand directly in front of the door, and if you knock and nobody answers, leave.
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Old 07-16-2016, 03:04 PM
 
3,782 posts, read 4,243,908 times
Reputation: 7892
Quote:
Originally Posted by belleislerunner View Post
Yes. Soliciting refers to asking for money/donations/purchase of goods-services.

Even if you have a "no soliciting" sign one can still knock on your door. That's what Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses do.

The United States Supreme Court has consistently upheld a constitutional right to knock on someone’s door as a form of free speech as long as it is within normal waking hours (e.g. not 3am) without the need to get a permit etc.

https://scholar.google.com/scholar_c...804874&scilh=0 - Excerpt from the SC case.
To solicit also means: to seek for (something) by entreaty, earnest or respectful request, formal application, etc.

Quote:
Originally Posted by belleislerunner View Post
Yes. Soliciting refers to asking for money/donations/purchase of goods-services.

Even if you have a "no soliciting" sign one can still knock on your door. That's what Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses do.

The United States Supreme Court has consistently upheld a constitutional right to knock on someone’s door as a form of free speech as long as it is within normal waking hours (e.g. not 3am) without the need to get a permit etc.

https://scholar.google.com/scholar_c...804874&scilh=0 - Excerpt from the SC case.
It's also your right as a homeowner to tell them to get the *** (fill in the blank) off the property. A 1971 ruling by SCOTUS (Cohen v. California) allows the use of swear words, with some restrictions.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Geo-Aggie View Post
If the Mormons come by, please be nice to them - they're just brainwashed 19 year old kids who don't know any better , maybe ask them to do your yardwork or to help with a project. I can promise you they'd be happier doing that than having to harass more strangers about their version of Jesus. Then as they help you, introduce them to concepts such as how happy you are without Mormonism or how most religious people have felt some sort of confirmation that their religion is right for them. Inspire them to research topics like polyandry and racism in the church or to learn what an anachronism is. Offer them a Pepsi afterward or if you're younger maybe invite 'em over to play video games or watch a movie with you (all things they're not allowed to do for two years). Then just maybe they'll see how normal you are, go back to Utah, reevaluate their life and beliefs, be disowned by their family and friends for doing so, and then end up in Michigan - a beautiful place where they can learn to further discover themselves and be free!

Oh and ... yeah, totally legal. Just... make sure to rattle fences to check for dogs, don't stand directly in front of the door, and if you knock and nobody answers, leave.
I tried that in TN, and it worked, two of them ended up being more interested in my Corvette, why I always carried a gun but was not a cop, etc. (They rented a condo just across the lot from me). However, having lived in MI (Rochester Hills) I found they are NOT always the same friendly critters. There was an LDS church in Rochester that sent these mormons out like flies on poop. That's where I started using the four letter word to get off the porch. I really grew tired of them bothering me.

When I moved to UT, they weren't as bad as MI, but still more bothersome than in TN. Now here in ID...the Jehovahs are extremely pesky; more so than the mormons.

(Now overseas, you can spot them a mile away....but when they come across Americans, they just want to talk; no religion involved. I guess they are just happy to carry on a discussion with someone from the USA.)

Still amazes me how you came from UT to live in MI and you like it, while I basically came from MI. (Born there, high school and even college). But after college took off only to be posted there for three years just before retiring, then basically retiring to UT and now settling in ID. I guess it could be cause I grew up there in the 50s/60s and when moving back there in 2005, I saw how the city I grew up in turned into a cesspool; worse than some third world cities I had worked in.

Last edited by f5fstop; 07-16-2016 at 03:23 PM..
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Old 07-17-2016, 11:24 AM
 
Location: Metro Detroit
1,786 posts, read 2,665,313 times
Reputation: 3604
And from my perspective it amazes me how one could move from a beautiful metro, like Detroit, to Utah/Idaho and love it.

So many people there base their opinions of their neighbors on their activity or involvement in their local church. Yes the parts of SLC (or Boise) that you'll frequently visit are significantly cleaner than Brightmoor and Highland Park, but their downtowns are suburban, at best - and if you visit Rose Park or Glendale in SLC, you'll feel just as uncomfortable as you would in some of the rougher parts of Detroit or Flint.

Downtown SLC feels like Downtown Lansing and Downtown Boise feels like Downtown Royal Oak - I love Downtown Boise, but it has nothing on Downtown and Midtown Detroit. I dunno, maybe Detroit has rebounded a lot since 2005, but outside of the real ghetto parts of it (which admittedly, is a lot more of the city than the nice parts of it) - I think the city itself is preferable to SLC and the metro as a whole blows the Salt Lake Valley away. The suburbs of both SLC and Boise all feel like Livonia or Farmington Hills. They're nice, but they're all incredibly generic and have nothing special about them. Then the attractions here are all bigger, better; which is to be expected for a metro of 4 million vs a metro of 1 million (or 400k). Also, affordability - the only places I could reasonably afford to own in Salt Lake County (West SLC, Midvale, West Valley) were the equivalents of Redford, Roseville or Warren. I don't really want to raise a family in a 900 square foot Redford/Midvale bungalow and send them to sub-par schools.

From a beauty perspective, everything is brown, it's all dead there. A 25 foot aspen (kept alive by sprinklers) is a huge tree. I do miss the rocks and the mountains, and even the desert at times, but everything's a trade-off.

Wow, sorry, I'm so off topic here - so I can save the moderators from having to correct this, "Stay on topic, please, Geo-Aggie."
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Old 07-17-2016, 12:22 PM
 
Location: Washington Township
3 posts, read 3,817 times
Reputation: 10
So, I will take it as a "yes"?
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Old 07-18-2016, 07:35 AM
 
1,648 posts, read 3,271,260 times
Reputation: 1445
Yes it's perfectly legal.

It is legal to swear at someone as well on your doorstep - though if a stranger gets you that upset - I'd suggest medication. (i.e. get the F off my property).

It is not legal to threaten physical harm - that can land the threatening person in jail. (i.e. if you knock on my door again I will shoot or beat you).
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Old 07-18-2016, 10:13 AM
 
Location: Washington Township
3 posts, read 3,817 times
Reputation: 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by belleislerunner View Post
Yes it's perfectly legal.

It is legal to swear at someone as well on your doorstep - though if a stranger gets you that upset - I'd suggest medication. (i.e. get the F off my property).

It is not legal to threaten physical harm - that can land the threatening person in jail. (i.e. if you knock on my door again I will shoot or beat you).
I don't get upset over that. But I understand your post!

Thanks all
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Old 07-19-2016, 11:58 AM
 
Location: Grand Rapids Metro
8,882 posts, read 19,844,647 times
Reputation: 3920
Quote:
Originally Posted by matty1053 View Post
Hi,

I am very curious if it is legal to go door to door for political purposes. Such as going to SPECIFIC households for a republican candidate running for a public position. (Congress). (And also, the households have voted republicans in the past/are registered replublicans.) I believe it's called "canvassing". I'm not going to sell anything, nor' asking for political donations.

Trying to spread the word about a candidate. And get his name more familiar with the voters.



Also; if it's legal for doing this, are you allowed to go to subdivisions that have no soliciting sign?
I drove through a subdivision that had no soliciting sign at the enterance, and I saw other political signs (for local politics). And 2 of the people's signs on people's property I have seen them personally going door to door in the area's subvidisions. (Even the one I was in! As I live in a subdivision with a no soliciting sign at the enterance, and the 2 other candidates running for local positions (and one federal) went door to door in my sub, and even went to our door!).


I've done some searching and have seen that political canvassing is not soliciting and is perfectly legal to go to specific homes for political reasons.

This is in the Macomb County/Oakland County area.

TLDR; Is it legal to go door to door for political reasons NOT ASKING for any donations.?

Thanks!!!
Yes, it's legal, does it really bother you that much?

Do you need a hug? #freehugs
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Old 07-19-2016, 12:19 PM
 
2,063 posts, read 1,861,178 times
Reputation: 3543
The only time it bothered me was when I was out weeding and mulching, and was quite tired and on my way inside. My back was turned and a candidate SHOUTED at me from my garage, causing me to become extremely startled. She insisted on talking with me, and I tried to be polite (few neighbors around)...the woman was pushy and rude and definitely insulting when I quietly mentioned issues that she didn't agree with! Seemed extremely egotistical. Hey, that's the political animal, I guess. All that I had encountered in the past were a lot more open-minded and cordial, though.

I don't need a hug, but I will sure will handle such individuals differently next time.
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