The Constitution and Rules of the Theosophical Society provide it with a strong democratic framework. It allows appropriate freedom of action for National Societies and Lodges as well as to the international President and Officers, and enables them to function usefully in their own spheres, taking initiatives which will develop the work. All the Lodges elect their own officers, as do the members of National Societies and Regional Associations, and the international President takes office only after a ballot of all members throughout the world.

The procedure for electing the international President commences with nominations made by members of the General Council, which is largely composed of the elected representatives of National Societies, namely their General Secretaries. Such nominations are meant to follow consultation with the respective Governing Bodies, whose members must keep in mind the nature of the work and the responsibilities that the Presidential office carries with it.

Thus, many seasoned workers of the Society throughout the world apply their minds to the task of finding the most suitable persons as candidates when the office of President becomes vacant. After the voting list is prepared on the basis of the nominations, the global ballot is taken. The entire procedure takes seven months, because all members throughout the world are given the opportunity to indicate their choice.

In case there is only one candidate to be voted upon, an election is still conducted on a worldwide basis, and all members in good standing for twenty-four months immediately prior to the voting, unless they are minors, have the right to vote.

Thus members have a say not only in choosing their lodge officers and the chief executive of their own Section, but also the international President. They may reject the Presidential candidate by a simple majority if there is only one on the voting list. Such a ‘For’ or ‘Against’ ballot has taken place several times in the history of the Society, but its significance does not seem to have been always grasped.

To some it appears to be a waste of energy and money to go through the procedure if there is only one name put forward. But there is a wise purpose, which must be pointed out, behind the incorporation of the ‘For’ or ‘Against’ ballot in the Rules; it empowers the worldwide membership to exercise a veto if need be.

The General Council of the Society, as mentioned above, consists largely of the elected representatives of the National Societies,  with a few additional members. The total number of Council members is inevitably a small proportion of the entire membership of the Society. Therefore the eventuality of the Society’s membership as a whole not being in accordance with the choice of the Council cannot be ruled out. They are given the responsibility of either saying ‘no’ to the election of the candidate chosen by the Council, or express their confidence and support of the person. The moral support of the members and the esteem and affection shown by them greatly strengthens the President’s hands and facilitates the Society’s work.

As pointed out on other occasions, the international President does not have the constitutional power to enforce any policy or programme on a National Society or other body within the Society. The Society has held together remarkably well all these years, not so much by rules and external devices, but because of a strongly’ felt sense of brotherhood, mutual regard and trust. The President is an important link between the different parts of the world, and the value of such an office rests on the fact that he or she has been elected by all the members and enjoys their confidence. The value of a ‘For’ or ‘Against’ ballot should not be judged in terms of money and time spent; it is an overt expression of an inner relationship of mutual confidence.

Bibliographical reference: This article was published in the Theosophist, On the Watch Tower August, 1994 pp. 411-412 - and was kindly provided by the Campbell Theosophical Research Library, Sydney, Australia.