Back ملكية انتخابية Arabic Monarquía eleutiva AST Выбарная манархія Byelorussian Выбарная манархія BE-X-OLD Изборна монархия Bulgarian Monarquia electiva Catalan Volená monarchie Czech Valgmonarki Danish Wahlmonarchie German Monarquía electiva Spanish
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An elective monarchy is a monarchy ruled by a monarch who is elected, in contrast to a hereditary monarchy in which the office is automatically passed down as a family inheritance. The manner of election, the nature of candidate qualifications, and the electors vary from case to case. Historically, it was common for elective monarchies to transform into hereditary ones (whether legally or de facto) by repeated election of the previous rulers' children, or for hereditary monarchies to acquire elective or semi-elective succession laws, particularly following dynastic crises.