The Bahá’í Electoral Process: Election of the Regional Bahá’í Council

Members of the Local Spiritual Assemblies in the region cast ballots for the Regional Bahá’í Council. The election will take place between October 6 - 15, 2023.  The membership of the newly elected Regional Bahá’í Council will be announced by the National Spiritual Assembly on the Day of the Covenant, 26 November 2023.

Any adult Bahá’í in good standing who lives in the region can be elected to the Regional Bahá’í Council. As with any Bahá’í election, there are certain qualities to be aware of when voting:

Clearly, in casting their votes, [participants] will give due regard to the qualities specified by the Guardian such as selfless devotion, recognized ability and unquestioned loyalty, as well as to factors such as age distribution, diversity and gender. Yet they must also realize that at this time Regional Councils are responsible largely for overseeing the execution of the global Plan in the territories under their jurisdiction, in collaboration with the Counsellors and their deputies, ensuring that the two complementary movements central to its progress steadily unfold. It is only natural, then, that Local Assembly members would select for service on a Council men and women who, through their understanding of the institute process, their proven experience with the core activities, their ability to
contribute to learning at the grassroots and their constructive attitudes, can best guide the unfoldment of the … Plan.  – Letter from the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly, August 2007

[T]hose women and men who, through their proven experience in the activities of the Plan, their capacity to participate in the learning process, and their upright character and constructive attitudes, can best advance the process of entry by troops...” – National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States, September 12, 2023 to Local Spiritual Assemblies

As individual Bahá’ís, you can support the election of the Regional Bahá’í Council by asking your Local Spiritual Assembly when their election meeting is being held so that you may offer prayers during that time.  If there is no Local Spiritual Assembly where you live, you can pray for the entire region during the voting period of October 6th - 15th.

• Study the guidance about the role of the Regional Bahá’í Council
• Participate in the election meeting with your Local Spiritual Assembly; or if you are not able to attend, cast your vote via absentee ballot through the Online Balloting System

The primary responsibility of Regional Councils at this time is to support and guide the work of expansion and consolidation in cluster after cluster. Not only does this require them to interact directly with training institutes, Area Teaching Committees, and Local Spiritual Assemblies operating in their respective regions, they must also function in close collaboration with the Counsellors and their auxiliaries …Regional Councils gather and analyze essential information, ensure the efficient use of financial resources, and arrange for the dispatch of homefront pioneers. Moreover, they maintain regular communication with the friends in their regions, keeping them apprised of the progress of plans and facilitating the rapid dissemination of lessons learned.  – February 22, 2012 Letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice

The House of Justice highlights, among other things, the need for Councils to pay close attention to the operation of the regional institute, including the scheme of coordination the institute establishes at the level of the cluster. The Councils must ensure, too, the timely appearance and dynamic functioning of Area Teaching Committees. The discharge of these duties, carried out with the assistance of the Counsellors and their auxiliaries, will serve to foster the participation of increasing numbers of the friends in a rising number of programs of growth--and this, in turn, conduces to the sound development of the individual, the community, and the institutions. — August 9, 2012 Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States