Strengthening the Integrity of Electoral Governance Through Social Capital in a Democratic Governance Perspective

Electoral integrity is essential to democratic legitimacy, yet formal regulations and institutional mechanisms alone do not always ensure ethical, accountable, and publicly trusted election administration. This article examines how social capital strengthens electoral integrity from a democratic governance perspective. A qualitative systematic literature review was conducted using scholarly articles, books, policy documents, and institutional reports published primarily between 2015 and 2026. The data were analyzed through thematic synthesis and a condition–mechanism–outcome framework focusing on bonding, bridging, and linking social capital. The findings show that bonding social capital supports internal solidarity and ethical internalization, bridging social capital expands transparency and participatory oversight, while linking social capital strengthens public access and vertical accountability. These effects operate through trust building, information diffusion, collective coordination, social monitoring, and institutional connectivity. However, social capital may also generate patronage, exclusivity, conflicts of interest, and politicized networks when not supported by institutional independence, transparency, professionalism, and effective oversight. The study concludes that electoral integrity requires a balanced combination of strong institutions and inclusive social relations.