New Bill about Campaigning in Apartments and Condos

There is an interesting bill in the Maryland General Assembly, HB 373, which would allow candidates to campaign in apartment buildings, condos, etc.

CAI (Community Associations Institute) has chosen to oppose this bill and they have asked communities such as Leisure World to oppose it. They say it “directly impacts certain control you may have of your common areas, including ‘secure’ areas of condominium buildings.”  CAI further said this bill would turn “private communities and their common areas and open space into campaign spots and has great potential for abuse. Moreover stairwells and buildings with restricted entry intended for the safety and security of the residents may have to be disabled in order to comply with this provision.” CAI asked LW to tell our legislators that this bill would be an “unnecessary intrusion on your private property” and has “great potential for abuse.”

When I heard about this I researched the proposal and talked with its sponsor and some co-sponsors in the House of Delegates. It seems to me that this is a bill that will have positive consequences and, with some amendments, little or no negative ones, despite what some are saying about it.

In a democracy we want voters to know as much as possible about candidates. If some apartment building owners refuse to allow candidates to meet voters who live in their apartments, that hurts everyone. 

So long as there are reasonable provisions, such as allowing people to put notices on their doors saying they refuse to talk to candidates if that is their preference, and insuring that the normal activities of the apartment or condo are not interfered with, why should anyone oppose this bill? I think it should pass.