Administrative Rights - restoration

The depravation of a person's voting rights should only be restored when absolutely necessary, and a National Spiritual Assembly should always feel reluctant to impose this very heavy sanction which is a sever punishment. Of course sometimes, to protect the Cause, it must be done, but he feels that if the believer so deprived makes and effort to mend his ways, rectifies his mistakes, or sincerely seeks forgiveness, every effort should be made to help him and enable him to re-establish himself in the Community as a member in good standing.

In answer to the second question in you letter of 17 May 1976, no hard and fast rule can be laid down. It can happen, for example, that voting rights are removed mistakenly and the incorrect action of the Assembly is the basis for the believer's application for their restoration. If the voting rights have been removed justifiably it is generally sufficient for the believer to take the necessary actions to have them restored; his application for restoration and compliance with the requirements of Bahá’í law are sufficient evidence of repentance. However, if the Assembly sees that the believer does not understand the reason for the deprivation and has a rebellious attitude it should endeavor to make the matter clear to him. If his attitude is one of contempt for the Bahá’í law and his actions have been in serious violation of its requirements, the Assembly may even be justifies in extending the period of deprivation beyond the time of the rectification of the situation -- but such cases, by their nature, are very rare.

Should ... apply for restoration of his voting rights, and should your Assembly feel that he is truly repentant, you should offer assistance in arranging the other details including helping him to obtain the consent of parents.

We have your letter of October 9, 1971 informing us of your action to deprive... of his voting rights for violation of Bahá’í marriage law in that he married without having consent of all living parents. It is noted at he has a civil ceremony and a Catholic ceremony. The question you have asked deals with possible restoration of his voting rights. In cases involving only the civil ceremony, voting rights may be restored if the  Assembly feels that the believer is truly repentant and wishes to comply with the Bahá’í law previously broken. The civil marriage ceremony itself is not contrary to Bahá’í law, and therefore the dissolution of the civil marriage is not a pre- requisite to restoration of voting rights. In such cases the Bahá’í marriage ceremony may take place if the parents now give their consent to the marriage and the Assembly is satisfied that the consent has been genuinely and freely given and is not conditioned by the fact that the parties have already had a civil ceremony on the condition that it be performed.

When believers who have been deprived of their voting rights have moved into the area of jurisdiction of another National Spiritual Assembly they are under the jurisdiction of that Assembly. When they apply for the restoration of their voting rights that Assembly should correspond with the National Assembly which applied the sanction in order to obtain the full particular of the case and also any views the Assembly may have on the matter of restoration. It is then for the National Assembly in whose jurisdiction the believers are living to decide the matter and take action accordingly.