If it matters, the locale in question is the United States and no funds are being solicited.
“Solicitor” may be interchangeable with “Peddlers or Hawkers”, as in the famous Green River Ordinance.
If one wishes to be all encompassing, do so. If not precise, the political party canvasser my have a legal argument if you decide to file a criminal charge of trespassing.
I’m canvassing, not setting up a ‘No Solicitors’ sign.
In Ohio, yes, they do. From Rhines v. Bailiss (2005), 140 Ohio Misc.2d 5:
…the “‘right to communicate and persuade [does] not include the right to trespass’ on another’s rights.” *Cleveland v. Sundermeier *(1989), 48 Ohio App.3d 204, 549 N.E.2d 561, quoting Cleveland v. Egeland (1986), 26 Ohio App.3d 83, 26 O.B.R. 258, 497 N.E.2d 1383. “[E]ach householder [has] the full right to decide whether he will receive strangers as visitors.” Martin v. Struthers (1943), 319 U.S. 141, 63 S.Ct. 862, 87 L.Ed. 1313. The defendant’s wife did not ask the plaintiff [a Jehovah’s Witness] to leave the premises, but if she had, the plaintiff would have been obliged to comply. A homeowner may also post a “no solicitors” sign to avoid unwanted religious, political, or commercial contacts, or even Halloween trick-or-treaters. Watchtower [Bible & Tract Society of N.Y., Inc. v. Stratton (2002), 536 U.S. 150]; Schaumburg v. Citizens for a Better Environment (1980), 444 U.S. 620, 100 S.Ct. 826, 63 L.Ed.2d 73…
Oh, is there a legal advisor in your group or is it less organized?
Key in such as “Canvassing + First Amendment” and see what you get.
WATCHTOWER, that is the case I was trying to think of.
I’m pretty sure we would have a legal advisor, as I’m attached to one of the two leading campaigns for the US President.
This is a matter of curiosity; as a matter of practice, I avoid these doors since angering potential voters is unwise.
Here is the case EH cited, although it is a Municipal court decision, it rests on superior law, and do not be fooled that it is a dog bite case.
http://caselaw.findlaw.com/oh-municipal-court/1300617.html
Even the police can not come up to your door if you say “police stay out”/etc"… Unless by and through operation of law, they need to stay off the property.
Just carry the other guy’s literature for those houses.
Heh. I like that.
There was a case in Ohio somewhere, where the opponent was going around in the stealth of the night removing his opponent’s signs from front yards, he got caught on tape.
Heh. I was doing GOTV phonebanking for Kerry on Election Day in 2004. I reached a very irate guy who said, “This is the ninth political call I’ve gotten today. The next call I get, I’m gonna vote for the other guy!” I apologized, thanked him for his time, and hung up. Then I handed the slip to another phonebanker and said, “Call this guy in a few minutes and say you’re with the Bush campaign, would you?”
I heard a similar story about the Nixon campaign - ringing voters at 2.00 in the morning and saying Vote Democrat!