Electoral Unit 139 • 183 B.E.
Convention Roles & Election Guidance
A guide to prayerfully choosing those who serve—and understanding the responsibilities that follow election.
Before the election
Choosing Whom to Elect
Bahá’í elections are spiritual in character. There are no nominations and no campaigning. Each believer approaches the election prayerfully and independently, free from prejudice and from any outside influence.
“the elector … is called upon to vote for none but those whom prayer and reflection have inspired him to uphold….”
Guidance of the Guardian
Qualities to Consider
Shoghi Effendi identifies qualities that should guide Bahá’í electors. These qualifications are applicable to those elected to Bahá’í office generally.
- Unquestioned loyalty
- Selfless devotion
- A well-trained mind
- Recognized ability
- Mature experience
“the qualifications which he outlined are really applicable to anyone we elect to a Bahá’í office, whatever its nature.”
These qualities are ideals toward which the elector should look; they are not a checklist requiring perfection. The guidance encourages the friends to “aim as high as we can.”
The choice belongs to each individual voter. It should emerge from prayer, reflection, knowledge of the individuals, and freedom from campaigning, nominations, pressure, or electioneering.
Serving the Convention
The Chairperson
How is the Chairperson chosen?
After the Unit Convention has come to order, the Convention elects its own Chairperson and Secretary. This is important because the Convention itself—not an outside body—chooses the individuals who will guide its proceedings.
What does the Chairperson do?
- Helps guide the Convention through its agenda and proceedings.
- Encourages general consultation.
- Helps make possible the active participation of as many participants as possible.
- Protects the orderly flow of consultation without unnecessarily restricting participation.
- Keeps the purpose of Convention consultation before the gathering.
- Guides voting or other procedural matters when required.
- Works to create space for consultation rather than dominating it.
“It shall be the duty of the Chairman to encourage general consultation and make possible the active participation of the greatest possible number of delegates.”
If You Are Elected Chairperson
Your role is not to control the consultation or promote your own views. Your responsibility is to help the Convention consult effectively, maintain an orderly process, and create the conditions in which the participants can contribute freely and constructively.
Serving the Convention
The Secretary
How is the Secretary chosen?
The Unit Convention elects its Secretary after the Convention comes to order, along with the Chairperson.
What does the Secretary do?
The Secretary supports the orderly functioning and accurate documentation of the Convention. Responsibilities include:
- Recording the proceedings of the Convention.
- Accurately documenting appropriate actions, recommendations, or other required information.
- Working closely with the Chairperson to ensure the business of the Convention is properly recorded.
- Ensuring the Convention’s record is provided as required following the gathering.
“The transactions of the Convention shall be recorded by the Secretary….”
If You Are Elected Secretary
Listen carefully and record accurately. The secretary’s task is not to interpret the consultation according to personal views, but to help preserve a clear and faithful record of the Convention’s proceedings.
A central purpose of Unit Convention
The Delegate
Whom are we electing?
The delegate is elected by the believers of the electoral unit to participate in the National Convention. The Universal House of Justice explains:
“the delegate to be elected represents the entire unit”
This is an important distinction. The delegate is not elected merely to represent a particular locality, group of friends, or point of view.
Responsibilities of the Delegate
- Represents the entire electoral unit.
- Attends and participates in National Convention.
- Participates fully in its consultation.
- Prayerfully and independently considers the matters before the Convention.
- Carries the particularly weighty responsibility of voting for the members of the National Spiritual Assembly.
- Remains free from external pressure or instructions regarding how to vote.
- Has a responsibility to report back to the electoral unit following National Convention.
“Of all the responsibilities resting upon a delegate, that of voting for the members of the National Spiritual Assembly is clearly the most weighty.”
In carrying out this responsibility, the delegate should prayerfully and conscientiously vote for those whom the delegate believes best possess the qualities identified in the Bahá’í writings. The delegate must remain free from external influence, whether from individual believers or Bahá’í institutions.
More than an election
Consultation With Our Delegate
“In addition to the voting, the opportunity for consultation with the delegates is important.”
Unit Convention is therefore more than an election. It provides an opportunity for the believers of the electoral unit to consult together and for the elected delegate to hear the thoughts, experiences, concerns, and insights of the community before participating in National Convention.
In closing
A Spiritual Responsibility
“On the election day, the friends must whole-heartedly participate in the elections, in unity and amity, turning their hearts to God, detached from all things but Him, seeking His guidance and supplicating His aid and bounty.”
The purpose of learning about these roles is not to encourage discussion about particular candidates. Rather, it is to help each participant understand the responsibilities involved, reflect prayerfully on the qualities required, and approach the election in the spiritual atmosphere envisioned in the Bahá’í writings.
Authoritative sources
Sources & Further Reading
Quotations on this page are drawn from the following authoritative Bahá’í material. Explanatory text is provided by this website to help the friends prepare.
- The Sanctity and Nature of Bahá’í Elections A compilation prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice.
- Election of Delegates to National Conventions — 21 July 1985 Message of the Universal House of Justice on unit conventions and the election of delegates.
- Bahá’í Administration — Shoghi Effendi Letters of the Guardian on Bahá’í administration, elections, and Convention.
- Guidance of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States Official guidance and materials concerning Unit Convention procedures.