Mapping Patterns and Trends in Uncontested Elections Research (1965–2024)

This article explores patterns and trends in 111 prior studies regarding uncontested elections and their implications for the quality of democracy from 1965 to 2024 in the Scopus database. Since the first article was published in 1965, the topic has attracted noteworthy academic attention, especially in the last decade. Although the number of publications yearly fluctuates, scholarly interest remains consistent, with an average of 40.94 citations per document. Most research comes from the United States, but contributions from other countries such as Canada, Japan, and Germany are also remarkable. In sum, I provide a comprehensive insight into the development of uncontested elections, the significant contributions of various authors, and the thematic trends that have developed over time. 44 questions identified as future research directions open opportunities for further exploration to understand the factors supporting or hindering competitive elections.