Hacker News

The degree to which people lack confidence in the mechanisms of the election gives way to people disregarding election results they don't respect or support.

When a democracy is working, you're ostensibly satisfying a majority (or significant plurality) of the public. When it has been undermined through manipulation, corruption, or fraud, you end up with a public told they've selected a candidate that only rarefied minority actually supports. The end result is civil unrest, which prompts unpopular leaders to staff up larger security forces, which furthers tension into an outright armed struggle.

Voting systems that feed into people questioning election results ultimately undermine the democratic system. But candidates who are deeply unpopular winning general elections also feed into people questioning election results.