Electoral Violence in Conflict-Ridden Societies: Concepts, Causes, and Consequences

2009/06/26 by Kristine Höglund · 1 voice · 3 citations
Social Sciences · #Political Conflict and Governance #Religion and Society Interactions

paper · doi:10.1080/09546550902950290

openalex publication_date 2009/06/26 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29

Abstract

What are the causes of electoral violence? And how does electoral violence influence conflict resolution and democracy? This article argues for a conceptualization of electoral violence as a specific sub-category of political violence, determined mainly by its timing and target. The enabling conditions and triggering factors can be identified in three main areas: 1) the nature of politics in conflict societies, 2) the nature of competitive elections, and 3) the incentives created by the electoral institutions. These clusters of factors are important for understanding electoral violence both between different societies and across elections in a specific country.

Cited by

• The Effects of Electoral Violence on Women’s Legislative Representation
• Viewing Violence through a Partisan Lens: How Electoral Violence Shapes Citizens' Support for Democracy
• Party competition and the limits of electoral coercion: Evidence from Colombia

Discussions

• Kristine Höglund's research identifies electoral violence as a unique form of political violence linked to electoral processes. She highlights politics in conflict societies, election dynamics, and el [bsky, 1 points, 0 comments]

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• A New Typology of Electoral Violence: Insights from Indonesia
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• Viewing Violence through a Partisan Lens: How Electoral Violence Shapes Citizens' Support for Democracy