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Abstract:
How to resolve a 3-way tie when 2 parties are minorities; when voting, should one consider age distribution, diversity, and gender.
Notes:
Posted with permission of recipient; original PDF on file.
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Dear Bahá’í Friend, The Universal House of Justice has received your email letter of ... seeking clarification of a passage in its message to the Bahá’ís of the world dated 25 March 2007 [online at bahai-library.com/uhj_bahai_electoral_process] about the strengthening of the Bahá’í electoral process and asking how to resolve a three-way tie vote when two of the individuals are members of minorities. We have been asked to convey the following in response. The purpose of the 25 March letter is to bring to the attention of the friends certain aspects of the Bahá’í electoral process that have a bearing on the sound and healthy development of the community. Your question concerns the sentence that states, “From among the pool of those whom the elector believes to be qualified to serve, selection should be made with due consideration given to such other factors as age distribution, diversity, and gender.” The meaning is not that one should cast one’s vote simply on the basis of the factors mentioned, but that one should give those factors due consideration when choosing among all those one believes to be qualified. This statement is based on explicit comments made by Shoghi Effendi concerning the criteria a believer should keep in mind when voting. He wrote: They should disregard personalities and concentrate their attention on the qualities and requirements of office, without prejudice, passion or partiality. The Assembly should be representative of the choicest and most varied and capable elements in every Bahá’í community.As can be seen from the above passage, the principle of giving preference to representatives of minorities applies over a wide range. It is to be borne in mind by individual believers when casting their ballots, it is to be considered by Assemblies when appointing committees or calling upon individual friends to undertake responsibilities on behalf of the community, and it is to be recognized in an election when a member of a minority is involved in a tie vote with another believer. As to how a tie is to be broken among three individuals when two are members of minorities, another vote should be taken to select between the two minorities.
Department of the Secretariat |
METADATA | |
Views | 5777 views since posted 2012-11-10; last edit 2012-11-10 UTC; previous at archive.org.../uhj_clarification_electoral_process |
Permission | recipient (of letter) |
Share | Shortlink: bahai-library.com/3340 Citation: ris/3340 |
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