Source recordPrimary JW publicationverified1950sDoctrine changes

Source record · Primary JW publication

The Watchtower, “Subjection to the Higher Powers”

15 November 1950pp. 445-446Source ID src-chg-p-w-1950-1115-votingAccessed 19 September 2026
Primary JW publication Verified

The Watchtower, “Subjection to the Higher Powers”

15 November 1950 · pp.445-446 · pars. 21-24 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

“the Christian witnesses conscientiously refrain from taking part in the politics of this world, yes, even from voting. … they consider it improper to exercise the democratic vote by which unconsecrated persons are put into worldly political offices.”

The article states the general refusal to vote, then provides for countries where voting is compulsory: Witnesses may register, go to the polls and enter the booth, and ‘it is not our responsibility to instruct them what to do with the ballot’.

Provenance and verification note for The Watchtower, Subjection to the Higher Powers

Confidence note. Article opened on the Watchtower Online Library on 19 September 2026. Paragraph 21 precedes the page 446 marker and paragraph 24 follows it; the article runs pp. 439-448. The same issue is already in the ledger as src-w-1950-1115-subjection-higher-powers for a different passage.

Corroborated by. src-chg-p-w-1999-1101-qfr-voting

Notes. The 1999 answer quotes this article’s compulsory-voting paragraph and gives its pages as 445 and 446, which matches the page markers.

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-chg-p-w-1950-1115-voting