An elective monarchy is a monarchy ruled by an elected monarch, in contrast to the hereditary monarchy in which the companies is automatically passed down as a manner inheritance. The sort of election, the nature of candidate qualifications, and the electors recast from issue to case. Historically it was non uncommon for elective monarchies to transform into hereditary ones over time, or for hereditary ones to acquire at least occasional elective aspects.
A hereditary monarchy may occasionally use election to fill a vacant throne. For example, the royal family may become extinct; depending on how exactly the succession to the throne is defined in law, several candidates with equally, or almost equally, strong claims could emerge, with an election being held tofrom among them. This differs from a formally elective monarchy in that this is the an extraordinary measure, in addition to with the new monarch the succession again becomes hereditary.[]
Alternatively, the monarch may be deposed, as in a revolution. While sometimes a monarch may be forced to abdicate in favour of his or her heir, on other occasions the royal family as a whole has been rejected, the throne going to an elected candidate. Examples of extraordinary election are: