Aims: Voting behaviour has been undergoing changes in Western democracies. Nowadays, we’re witnessing an increase in the centrality of candidates at the expense of institutions. This review aims to synthesize evidence regarding the impact of voters' evaluation of candidates' personality traits on political outcomes and the effects of voters' personality traits on voting.

Methods: Relevant studies were identified via electronic databases (up to July 2019). Two reviewers independently screened studies and extracted data respecting inclusion and exclusion criteria. Retrospective and prospective snowball citation was performed to secure literature saturation. Methodological quality was assessed independently by two reviewers. Data synthesis was executed through narrative processes.

Results and discussion: 288 studies were identified, 12 of which were selected for review. Studies retrieved were published between 2006 and 2019. Four main outcomes were found: Personality traits and voting behaviour; Implicit/explicit trait associations and political outcomes; Party identification and personality traits; and Ideology and personality traits. Voters' assessment of candidates' personality traits plays a determinant role on political outcomes. Congruently, voters' personality traits represent an important factor in voting behavior. Electoral decisions based on personality traits reveal consequences on democratic functioning.