As a topic in the dominant party system political science literature, electoralism describes a situation in which the transition out of hard-authoritarian rule is initiated and managed by the incumbent regime.
Massive acts of voting fraud and election-day intimidation are essentially absent.
However, other features of democracy, such as the rule of law and institutional separation of powers, are absent under electoralism.
The entire election process is skewed in favor of the incumbent regime.
The media tends to ignore or paint the opposition in a negative light, the high court and election commission tends to make judgements in favor of the incumbent, and on some occasions, opposition rallies are denied or canceled by the police.