Valgbarhet

Valgbarhet refers to the legal capacity to be elected to public office. It is the counterpart to valgrett (the right to vote) and concerns who may stand as a candidate in elections and subsequently hold office. Valgbarhet is established by constitutional provisions and election laws and varies between jurisdictions.

Typical criteria include that a candidate is a natural person who has the right to stand in the relevant election, possesses the country's citizenship or legal status allowing candidacy, and meets an age and residency requirement by election day. In addition, many systems preserve certain law-based disqualifications, such as conflicts of interest, guardianship, or legal incapacitation, which may render a person ineligible to stand.

Eligibility is checked by electoral authorities as part of the nomination process. Disputes about a candidate's eligibility can be appealed in courts or resolved by the electoral administration. If a candidate is found ineligible, their nomination may be rejected or another candidate substituted, depending on national rules.

In Norway, valgbarhet is regulated by the constitution and by the national election law. The rules generally include that a candidate must be a Norwegian citizen and meet the age requirement by election day, and must not be subject to disqualifications defined by law. The exact criteria and procedures are described in the Grunnloven and the valglov.

See also: valgrett.