Growing up, I was always so excited when my mother would take me into the voting booth with her. These experiences made me feel like a grown-up, an essential part of the democracy I learned about in school. It instilled in me a sense of civic duty. As an adult, I made it a point to vote early and often in every election and even take my children to vote, just as I had done when I was a child.

As Editor-in-Chief of Generocity and a partner of Lenfest’s Every Voice, Every Vote, I have explored the needs of voters, shared important information, and hopefully motivated people to get out and vote. Yet I didn’t cast a vote on May 20 — and here’s why.

During the recent election season, I spoke with candidates, hosted community newsrooms and panels on civic engagement and community needs, and, as I usually do, sat down to create my plan to vote. I am not sure how you make your plan, but after all the conversations and debates, I downloaded a sample ballot for my precinct and researched the candidates, so I knew exactly who I was selecting when I walked into the booth. In November, this process led me to learn more about the Forward Party and led me to vote for several of their candidates. This past May, however, when I reviewed the sample Democrat ballot for my precinct, I noticed that out of eleven races, seven (7) were uncontested, and three (3) had no candidates at all. With so little to choose from, I wondered if it made sense to cast a vote that merely confirmed the inevitability of those candidates winning. Simply put, why bother when I had no choice to make, as it was made for me.

At our next Generocity editorial meeting after the voter turnout was announced, we began to ponder what those numbers meant. According to the Commissioner’s office, only 16.6% of the 1,062,912 registered voters cast their votes. However, we questioned what that number meant. Was 16.6% all registered or just registered Democrats and Republicans? This was a primary election. In a primary election, only registered members of the Democratic or Republican parties can vote for their party’s candidates. Pennsylvania has a closed primary system. If you are registered as an independent or with a third party, you cannot vote for candidates in primary elections. According to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, out of the 1,062,912 registered voters in Philadelphia, only 897,125 are registered as either Democrats or Republicans. Based on these numbers, 19.68% of registered Democratic or Republican voters showed up to vote for the candidate they wanted to represent them in the General election in the fall. Or did they? 

With this number still being relatively low, and may not be entirely accurate accounting for 3rd party voter ability to vote on ballot measures, I decided to share my decision as to why I did not vote and explained the reasons behind it. The conversation quickly took over the entire meeting. Curious to see if it was just a Delco issue, I examined a sample ballot for Philadelphia. When exploring an address in the 19133 zip code—- a high-poverty, low-median household income, and low voter-turnout area. There, out of eight Democratic races, three were uncontested, and two had no candidates.

Get out to vote or Get out to run?

We in the media, as well as nonprofit organizations, foundations, and government agencies, consistently urge people to fulfill their civic duty and vote. But is it a civic duty to participate in an election when there are almost no candidates to choose from? We tell people to use their voice and vote for the people they want to represent them, but if there is no one who represents them or no one at all to consider, where does their civic duty lie? Who encourages people to fulfill their civic duty by running for office so that voters actually have a say in who represents them?

I know what some may be thinking right now, “That’s easier said than done,” or “Why don’t you run for office if you see the problem?” I did run for office in 2019. I learned I am not “built” for politics, and it is not an experience I would want to repeat. But if others feel the same way — if the burden of running for office is too significant, if people do not understand what positions there are to run for, if there are too few candidates running and those candidates don’t reflect the broader community — what does that mean for our budgets, services, and policies. What becomes of civic duty in such a system?

The broader implications

This is not just a local problem. Across the United States, uncontested elections are increasingly common, especially in low-income and marginalized communities. According to Ballotpedia, more than 70% of elections were uncontested throughout 2024 across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five territories. 

When elections are uncontested, or when voters have only one choice or no choice at all, does it result in a cycle of disinterest, with fewer candidates running, voters feeling less empowered, and the system becoming less representative of the population? 

As leaders, how can we foster platforms where every community voice is heard and has real impact, especially when it comes to representation? What steps are needed to ensure that the perspectives of historically marginalized communities are not only included, but amplified in the public arena? How can we encourage broader civic engagement — beyond voting — to ensure that all voices are engaged and truly shaping our community?

This quarter, Generocity will explore these questions and more.

Have questions or insights you’d like to share or want us to explore?