Illinois and Wisconsin held a combined 18,641 elections on April 1, primarily local elections to school boards, city councils, and other special districts.
But, in both states, it was clear who the winners would be in a majority of those elections since more than four out of every five elections were uncontested.
An uncontested election is one where the number of candidates on the ballot is less than or equal to the number of seats up for election. Candidates running in uncontested elections are virtually guaranteed victory.
These rates exceed the typical percentage of uncontested elections Ballotpedia has observed nationwide. Throughout 2024, 70% of the 76,902 elections covered were uncontested, and through March 2025, the uncontested rate was 34% of 564 elections…