Active support. . . of an individual who has announced his
candidacy for political office is not permissible to Bahá'ís. Even if the
person is not attached to a political party, the very fact of promoting his
candidacy over that of other competitors is an act of partisanship, which is
inimical to the principles of the Faith. As you well know, campaigning and
nominations are forbidden in Bahá'í elections. The friends should endeavor to
keep in mind the non-partisan character of the Faith and to employ the attitude
of non-partisanship, to the greatest extent possible, in the exercise of their
civic responsibilities as voters. Bahá'í are, of course, free to vote except,
in primaries, but should not express support for any candidate.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter
written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, dated May 25, 1992; ‘Developing
Distinctive Baha'i Communities, 1998 version’, prepared by US NSA)
