Is your ballot full of holes?

[Morganite]

So, since the last election, I moved one county over. So, not far as these things go, but I wasn't sure if I was going to be in the same districts for the US legislature or not. So I went looking for sample ballots.

They weren't hard to find for my current location. (Easier than for my old one, in fact.) Turns out I'm in the same ones for the national stuff. Okay.

But as for the local elections... well, I'd gone digging through the more detailed election results for Iowa in 2012, and noticed a whole lot of the elections for state offices were uncontested. Which is the case this year for three out of five here.

And then there's the 'nonpartisan offices'*. There's a "vote for no more than two" with two names. "No more than four" with four. But the most dramatic would have to be the one for "Soil and Water Conservation District". Vote for no more than three... with one name listed. I'm gonna have to look that one up, I want to know if there'll be a whole bunch of names that get one vote listed.

*I have no idea how nonpartisan they actually are.

The thing is, I'm in a not the most densely populated county (I think) of a not the most densely populated state. So I don't know what of several possible things to put this down to. A lack of interest in these positions? Areas where one party has an overwhelming advantage that no one is interested in challenging? Something else?

So, is your ballot full of holes? And if so, why do you think that is?

-Morgan.

[ordnance11]

My first thought is #2. The county is either so red or blue it would take a miracle for the opposition to be voted in.
__________________
Into terror!,  Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell

[Morganite]

I don't think that applies to Dallas county at least. Looking at some 2012 election numbers, the elections which were contested didn't show such an extreme difference.

-Morgan.

[Labster]

No holes where I am.  I've seen uncontested races before, but that doesn't happen much in California any more.  I've voted on a race with over 100 candidates for one seat (thanks Arnold!).  But the solution here in cobalt California is to put two people on the ballot no matter if they're in the same party or not ("jungle primary").  So we can have a race between a moderate Democrat and a liberal Democrat to provide some choice.  And the occasional two-Republican race in the Central Valley.
I'm just wondering, if one has a belief that government is harmful because it does too much, what motive would one have to be a part of a local agency?
-- ∇×V

[Morganite]

... That's why there's no Anarchist party on the ballot?

-Morgan.

[Inquisitive Raven]

The only uncontested positions on my ballot were for the state legislature (Senate and House), both Dems, but I live in a city with a powerful Democratic machine.

Heck, I'm a registered Democrat purely so I can vote in the mayoral primaries as that generally determines who the next mayor will be. This will give away where I live, but the last viable Republican candidate for mayor we had was Frank Rizzo.

[Foxboy]

Local Sherriff is listed on both major parties.
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''

-- James Nicoll

[Rod.H]

Ah, the city of evil parking enforcement and most recently, home to a yellow H1 and a white RHD R32 GT-R owned by a guy who doesn't believe in trousers.

[Morganite]

... I think you're gonna have to explain that one.

-Morgan.

[Rod.H]

Philadelphia and a Jalopnix writer, Doug DeMuro who spent a year or two living there, those were some of the cars he had for the time. Apparently he's now in 'Jersey and has replaced them with a carmax-sourced Aston Martin Vantage.

[ECSNorway]

There's running unopposed, and then there's running effectively unopposed.

NY has been safely Blue for quite some time now. The last Republican to carry the state was Reagan. The only others within the last 50 years were Nixon and Ford.
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.