In the 1820 election, James Monroe also ran unopposed, though New Hampshire elector William Plumer cast a vote for John Quincy Adams as a symbolic measure.
[5] Adoption of single transferable vote in the Australian state of Tasmania (1909) and Ireland (1921) led to the end of uncontested seats, attributed to a lowered threshold for representation incentivising parties to field more candidates.
In illiberal democracy, walkovers may be a suspicious sign of electoral fraud, or gerrymandering to prevent other candidates from participating.
Multi-party systems that have held uncontested presidential elections include Algeria, Iceland[a], Ireland[b], Singapore[9], West Germany in 1989, and Zimbabwe.
In the Victorian era, over half of parliamentary seats at general elections to the UK House of Commons could go uncontested.
This was both a cost-saving emergency measure at a time of war coalition government, and a gesture of solidarity if the by-election was triggered by a war-related death.
[11] A 2011 study found that state legislators who did not face competition in their past election are less active in law-making, showing up less often to vote.
[13] Indonesia also noted a rise, with incumbency advantage a factor in dissuading rival candidates and parties from competing.
[14] One study found in Italian municipal elections, signature requirements for candidates increased the number of uncontested races.