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MEMORANDUM DATE: July 17, 2015 . TO: Kathy Glanzer FROM: Martin Norder RE: Access to Multiple Unit Dwellings by Political Candidates The 2014 Minnesota Campaign Manual and Minn. Stat. § 211B.20 both address access by political candidates to multiple unit dwellings. Under Minn. Stat. § 2111120, subd. 1(a), it is unlawful for a person, either directly or indirectly, to deny access to an apartment house, dormitory, nursing home, manufactured home park, other multiple unit facility used as a residence, or an area in which two or more single-family dwellings are located on private roadways to a candidate who has: (1) organized a campaign committee under applicable federal or state law; (2) filed a financial report as required by section 211A,02; or (3) filed an affidavit of candidacy for elected office. A candidate granted access under this section must be allowed to be accompanied by campaign volunteers. Under Minn. Stat. § 21113.20, subd. 1(c), a candidate and any accompanying campaign volunteers granted access under this section must be permitted to leave campaign materials for residents at their doors, except that the manager of a nursing home may direct that the campaign materials be left at a central location within the facility. The campaign materials must be left in an orderly manner. Under Minn. Stat. § 211B.20, subd. 1(d), if a facility or area contains multiple buildings, a candidate and accompanying volunteers must be permitted to access more than one building on a single visit, but access is limited to only one building at a time. If multiple candidates are traveling together, each candidate and that candidate's accompanying volunteers is limited to one building at a time, but all of the candidates and accompanying volunteers traveling together must not be restricted to accessing the same building at the same time. Minn. Stat. § 211B.20, subd, 2 provides that Subdivision 1 does not prohibit: (1) denial of admittance into a particular apartment, room, manufactured home, or personal residential unit; (2) requiring reasonable and proper identification as a necessary prerequisite to admission to a multiple unit dwelling; (3) in the case of a nursing home or a registered housing with services establishment providing assisted living services meeting the requirements of section 144G.03, subdivision 2, denial of permission to visit certain persons for valid health reasons; (4) limiting visits by candidates or volunteers accompanied by the candidate to a reasonable number of persons or reasonable hours; (5) requiring a prior appointment to gain access to the facility; or (6) denial of admittance to or expulsion from a multiple unit dwelling for good cause. In summary, candidates accompanied with campaign volunteers are allowed access to multiple unit dwellings and are allowed to distribute campaign materials. Ilowever, campaign volunteers are not allowed access unless accompanied by the candidate. In addition, the candidate and his or her volunteers must remain together while visiting multiple unit dwellings. Also, multiple unit dwellings have the right to limit visits by candidates and his or her volunteers to a reasonable number of persons or reasonable hours or to require a prior appointment to gain access to the facility. Multiple unit dwellings may also denial admittance to or expel a candidate and his or her volunteers for good cause. 1