valgbare

Valgbare is a political term used in several Nordic languages to denote eligibility to stand for election. The word is most commonly encountered in Norwegian and Danish, and appears in some Swedish legal texts as well. It describes a person or candidate who satisfies the legal requirements to be elected to a particular office, such as national, regional, or municipal positions.

Etymology and form: the term combines the root val- (from election or vote) with the suffix -bare, meaning capable of. This construction is cognate with similar forms in other Germanic languages. In practice, valgbare differs from voting eligibility, as it concerns the capacity to be elected, not the right to cast a vote.

Usage and scope: valgbare status is determined by electoral laws and can depend on factors such as minimum age, citizenship or residency, and absence of disqualifications (for example, certain criminal convictions or office-holding restrictions). The precise criteria vary by country and level of government. While valgbare is common in formal or legal writing, everyday speech in some languages may use equivalent terms like valbar or electable. In cross-border or bilingual documents, valgbare may appear alongside local equivalents to clarify candidate eligibility.

Examples: a candidate must be valgbare to appear on the ballot for municipal council elections; certain offices may have higher or more specific eligibility rules. Distinctions between being valgbare and actually winning an election are important, as valgbare is a pre-election status.

See also: valbar, electable, electoral law.