Nomination rules facts for kids
In any election, there are rules that decide who can become a candidate. These are called nomination rules. They are an important part of making sure elections are free and fair.
The right to stand for election, also known as the right to be a candidate or passive suffrage, is the official term for a person's right to run for office. This is different from active suffrage, which is the right to vote for someone.
The rules for becoming a candidate are different in each country. Common requirements include a person's age, their citizenship, and sometimes getting support from a political party. These rules help make sure that the election process is organized and fair for everyone involved. In some places, like the United States, getting on the voting list, or ballot paper, has its own set of rules called ballot access.
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How to Become a Candidate in Canada
In Canada, any citizen has the right to run for a seat in the House of Commons of Canada or a provincial government. A person does not need to be nominated by a political party to be a candidate.
To be a candidate for the House of Commons, a person must:
- Be a Canadian citizen.
- Be at least 18 years old on election day.
- Collect signatures from voters in the area (called an electoral district or "riding") they want to represent. Usually, 100 signatures are needed.
A candidate can run in any riding, even if they don't live there, but they can only run in one riding at a time. These rules are managed by a neutral group called Elections Canada.
Candidates can also be chosen by a political party to represent them. Each party has its own rules for choosing its candidates. If a candidate is chosen by a registered party, the party's name can appear next to their name on the ballot.
Running for the European Parliament
Each country in the European Union has its own rules for who can run in elections for the European Parliament.
For example, in countries like Germany and the Netherlands, candidates usually have to be nominated by a political party. In other member countries, a person can become a candidate by collecting a certain number of signatures from voters. Some countries also require candidates to pay a deposit, which is a sum of money that they get back if they receive enough votes. The right to be a candidate in these elections is protected by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
Rules for Presidential Candidates in France
In France, anyone who wants to run for the office of President of the Republic must first get support from other elected officials. They need to collect 500 signatures from people like mayors, members of parliament, or regional leaders.
How Swedish Elections Work
In Sweden, candidates for the Riksdag (the national parliament) or local councils are listed on ballots created by their political parties.
An interesting rule in Sweden is the "free right of nomination" (fri nomineringsrätt). This means that anyone can create a ballot for a party, unless that party has protected its name. To avoid confusion, most parties apply to have their name officially protected.
To protect its name, a party must be organized with a board and official rules. It also needs to collect signatures from voters:
- 1,500 for national or European Parliament elections.
- 150 for county elections.
- 50 for local city elections.
Parties with a protected name can be sure that only the candidates they have approved will appear on their official ballots.
Political Party Rules in Turkey
In Turkey, for a political party to take part in an election, it must show that it is well-established across the country. The law requires parties to have an organization in at least half of Turkey’s provinces. They must also have held their major party meetings (called grand congresses) at least six months before election day.
Becoming a Candidate in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, a person can run for office as an Independent candidate or as a member of a political party. To use a party's name and logo on the ballot, the candidate must be approved by that party.
National Elections
To become a candidate for the United Kingdom Parliament, Scottish Parliament, Senedd (Welsh Parliament), or Northern Ireland Assembly, a person needs:
- The signatures of ten registered voters from the area.
- An election deposit of £500. This money is returned if the candidate gets at least 5% of the votes.
Local Elections
For local government elections, a candidate does not usually need to pay a deposit. However, they still need signatures from registered voters:
- Two signatures for town or parish council elections.
- Ten signatures for other local elections.
Getting on the Ballot in the United States
In the United States, the rules for getting a candidate's name on the ballot are known as ballot access rules. These rules can be very different from one state to another.
An interesting fact about U.S. history is that a person's gender has never been a legal requirement for holding a national office like President or a member of Congress. Even before women had the right to vote in all federal elections, there was no law in the Constitution stopping a woman from being elected to a national position.
See also
- Electoral competition
- List of banned political parties
- Opposition (politics)
- Political party funding
