365. Further Information on Lowering the Voting Age to Eighteen

365

Further Information on Lowering the Voting Age to Eighteen

21 April 2021

To all National Spiritual Assemblies

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

365.1 As stated in the Riḍván 2021 message of the Universal House of Justice, immediately following this Riḍván the age at which a believer may vote in Bahá’í elections is to be lowered to eighteen. The House of Justice has directed us to write to you with some further information relating to this change.

365.2 As you are already aware, the age at which a believer becomes eligible to serve on a Spiritual Assembly is to remain twenty-one; this shall also remain the age at which a believer becomes eligible to serve on a Regional Bahá’í Council. While a Bahá’í who has turned eighteen becomes eligible to vote at a unit convention, the age at which a believer becomes eligible for election as a delegate to National Convention shall remain twenty-one as well.

365.3 It is appreciated that for National and Local Spiritual Assemblies that are incorporated this change is likely to have implications for their incorporation documents, given that the existing model By-Laws for both a National and Local Spiritual Assembly refer to twenty-one as the age at which a Bahá’í becomes eligible to vote. The House of Justice is considering making a number of changes to these model documents to take account of this most recent development, among others, and more information will be provided to you about these changes in due course.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

Department of the Secretariat