Standing for election is normally, at least to some extent, territorially limited, meaning that there is usually a requirement for a link between the constituency and the candidate representing it.
This may be a requirement for residency, employment, property ownership, or other. More significantly, some elections only allow candidates who are nationals of the particular State, whereas some also permit residents of a different nationality to run for office. International human rights law permits these restrictions in the light of the broad margin of appreciation that states enjoy, but justifications for doing so must generally be interpreted as strictly as possible. This means that any such limitation, even if accepted in principle, must be specifically necessary so that the restriction of a person’s right to stand for election is outweighed.
Local government elections
According to the law, citizens of Estonia and other European Union member states with the right to vote have the right to stand as a candidate in local elections if their permanent residence according to the Population Register is located in the corresponding rural municipality or city where they stand for elections not later than on 1 August of the election year.
Parliamentary elections
Only Estonian citizens may run in parliamentary elections.
The parliamentary elections have 12 electoral districts, but there is no requirement of a territorial link between a candidate and the district in which they are standing for election. A candidate may only stand for election in one district at a time.
European Parliament elections
The European Parliament Election Act stipulates that both Estonian citizens and citizens of another European Union member state, permanently resident in Estonia according to the Poopulation Register, may stand for election to the European Parliament. There are no other requirements of a territorial link, as in the elections to the European Parliament, the entire country serves as a single constituency from which seven representatives must be elected.