The Bahá'í Electoral Process: Some Personal Experiences and Reflections
Unit Convention is this weekend!
Last year, 9 of the 11 units in the Southeast Region saw an increase in participation over the previous year. How wonderful if we can have even higher participation this year!
"Bahá'í elections are different from any other election I have experienced in my 58 years of voting in various elections...Bahá'í elections at local, regional, national and international levels are characterized by these features: no electioneering, no nominations, no one putting himself/herself forward to be elected or even giving hints about your choice. Bahá'ís are encouraged to vote for those who have the best combination of unquestioned loyalty, selfless devotion, a well-trained mind, and recognized ability and mature experience...The election is held after prayers and in silence. It's like being in a holy place where you can feel the presence of God. I first witnessed this spiritual atmosphere while attending the National Convention in 1964 as an observer...I was deeply moved by this experience. It felt like the hand of God was directing this process... (The Hutchinson News, October 2016)
"Enjoying Bahá'í Unit Convention today in Columbia... A blessing to connect with new & old friends."
"At our Bahá'í unit convention...yesterday, I had many things to be thankful for: I wasn't exhausted by the time I got home (saved that for today), much less during the meeting itself; got to see lots of old dear friends; the rain that pretty much washed a big piece of South Carolina out to sea didn't quite make it to the Georgia line (though it was wet); and some of the younger attendees turned out to be a family originally from Congo who subsequently lived in South Africa before they came here. A great chance to put my French to work!" (Facebook post 2015)
Where and when is my Unit Convention?
The "where" and "when" of Unit Conventions
You can find information about your Unit Convention in several ways:
- Visit the National Bahá’í Administrative Website (www.bahai.us); go to "Elections" in the menu on the left side, click on "Delegate Elections/Electoral Unit Maps by Region"
- Contact your Local Spiritual Assembly
- Contact the Regional Baha'i Council (secretariat@rbcse.org)