What does it mean to be a Bahá’í?

Administrative Order

   
^{The Seat of the Universal House of Justice}

The affairs of the Faith are administered by a system of elected councils at the local, national and international levels. At the levels of the local and national community, these are known as spiritual assemblies. The international governing body of the Faith is the Universal House of Justice. Ordained by Bahá’u’lláh in His Writings with the authority to legislate on matters not already explicitly addressed in the Bahá’í scriptures, the Universal House of Justice keeps the Bahá’í community unified and enables it to respond to the needs of an ever-advancing world civilization.

Bahá’í elections are held by secret ballot. There are no candidacies or nominations, and campaigning is not allowed. Every Bahá’í who is age 21 or older may vote in Bahá’í elections and are eligible to serve on administrative institutions of the Faith.