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An uncontested election is an election in which the winning candidate did not face a serious challenger.[1] This often entails the number of candidates being the same as or fewer than the number of places available for election, meaning that all candidates are guaranteed to be elected unless there are provisions provided for this. For example, in some election systems, absence of opposing candidates may not guarantee victory; possible factors are a quorum or minimum voter turnout; a none of the above option; or the availability of write-in candidates on the ballot.[2] In some uncontested elections, the normal process of voters casting ballots and election official counting votes is cancelled as superfluous and costly; in other cases the election proceeds as a formality.
In liberal democracies, uncontested elections are a cause for concern because many understandings of democracy, such as that of Robert Dahl, rely on the idea of voters choosing among alternatives.[3]