Candidates constitute an essential element of elections. Hence, it is very important that this matter be regulated in the constitution and, in more detail, in the legislation.  The requirements to be a candidate are directly linked with the exercise of fundamental rights, the right to elect and be elected. Putting forward candidates enables voters to choose and, at the same time, it permits citizens interested in access to elected office to be elected. The candidate constitutes a political offer on which voters can pronounce.

 The regulation of candidates should deal mainly with issues concerning the requirements for nomination for election. It should also determine who is entitled to nominate candidates, that is to say, whether this right is only reserved for political parties or is extended to other political organizations, groups of citizens, social movements or individuals as independent candidates. Furthermore, the legal framework for candidates should provide for gender equality with regard to nomination and specify the registration procedure and campaign requirements before the competent authority.

Depending on the electoral system, voters are faced with different types of choice regarding candidates, as there is the possibility of ranked choice voting, preferential vote or gradual elimination, voting for individual candidates or voting for candidates included in a party a list.

Overall, the form in which candidates appear on the ballot affects the outcome of the vote. The basic distinction between the various forms of ballots is between the nominal ballot and the party list ballot. In the case of nominal ballots, seats are allocated according to the votes obtained by a specific candidate, while in the case of party lists the decisive factor for translating votes into seats is the sum of votes obtained by each list or by the total of candidates included in each party list.