Taking part in the sacred election process
The following thoughts and information are offered for reflection and action as Ridván elections come near.
(Essentially the same material has been shared by email with all communities.)
We share here some voting statistics showing participation in voting for delegates to National Convention in 2023. Further details of each Unit’s participation can be found in the attached document.
Participation by eligible voters in 2023 (38%) was greater than the participation in 2022 (34%).
Participation in the North Island in 2023 was 38% compared with 31% in 2022. This was despite extreme weather events affecting many regions.
Participation in the South Island in 2023 (40%) is less than the participation in 2022 (45%).
The National Spiritual Assembly encourages all Local Assemblies in Aotearoa to implement an education process about Bahá’í elections for the friends leading up to Ridván. The importance of education in this area is evident in the following extract from the message of the Universal House of Justice to the Conference of the Counsellors on 30 December 2021:
One compelling insight which has emerged is that the extent to which the station and leadership of a Local Assembly is recognized in a community is related to how deeply the believers appreciate the sacredness of the electoral process and their duty to participate in it, in an atmosphere wholly free from the taint of suasion or worldly attitudes about power. As consciousness is raised in a community about the spiritual principles underlying Bahá’í elections, a new conception is formed of what it means for someone to be called to serve on an institution, and understanding grows of how the individual, the community, and the Local Assembly and its agencies relate to one another. Where systematic effort has been made to stimulate conversations in a community about the formation of the Local Assembly and its purpose, and to sustain those conversations year after year, the strength of the elected body and the dynamism of community life reinforce each other.
Some elements that might be focused on include points mentioned in the above extract, such as:
The sacredness of the electoral process
The duty to participate in it
An atmosphere wholly free from the taint of suspicion or worldly attitudes about power
Other spiritual principles underlying Bahá’í elections
Attached as a possible resource for your use is a document titled, “Bahá’í Elections: A Deepening Theme”. You may use this material if you find it valuable for your purposes, but we wish to make it clear that it is not being prescribed as required study throughout the country.
The National Spiritual Assembly looks forward to seeing the ongoing development of Bahá’í election processes in Aotearoa.
