# The Problem of Uncontested Elections…and What You Can Do About it | Politics with Paul #75

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/politics-with-paul-7031218/the-problem-of-uncontested-elections-and-what-you-can-do-about-it-politics-with-paul-75
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/politics-with-paul-7031218/the-problem-of-uncontested-elections-and-what-you-can-do-about-it-politics-with-paul-75.md
Podcast: [Politics with Paul](https://stenobird.com/podcast/politics-with-paul-7031218)
Published: 2026-01-13T12:45:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcast.paulrader.org/episodes/x99IROxy764
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/media.podcastai.com/episodes/x99IROxy764.mp3?u=1768319864
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Duration seconds: 3794

## Resource

Uncontested elections - races that only have one candidate - are a considerable problem in American politics. These elections aren't just uncompetitive; there's no competition at all. The choice has already been made before voting. Despite the threats uncontested elections pose to democracy and civic health, however, this issue doesn't get nearly as much attention as it should. But the first step to solving a problem is knowing it exists. Today's episode of Politics with Paul showcases how often we see these uncontested elections, many of the factors that can lead to an uncontested election, reasons why they are a problem for democracy and civic health…and perhaps most importantly, what YOU can do practically to help push back against the frequency of uncontested elections.

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## Transcript

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