# Unanimous elections

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanimous-elections/771279>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [November 9, 2016, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanimous-elections/771279 "2016-11-09T20:56:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanimous-elections/771279/1 "2016-11-09T20:56:55Z")

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[http://maineelections.bangordailynews.com/?County=Cumberland+County](http://maineelections.bangordailynews.com/?County=Cumberland+County)  
Has this ever happened before in a race where there was more than one candidate? Scroll down to House District 40 and you will see something strange. Rachel Talbot-Ross(D)won 100% of the vote, and apparently nobody at all voted for her opponent, not even himself. Portland is a very liberal city, and Dems from the city running for state legislature often win by very large margins, but I have still never seen a unanimous election before.

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**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanimous-elections/771279/2 "2016-11-09T21:07:11Z")

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> [@boffking](#):
>
> [http://maineelections.bangordailynews.com/?County=Cumberland+County](http://maineelections.bangordailynews.com/?County=Cumberland+County)  
> Has this ever happened before in a race where there was more than one candidate? Scroll down to House District 40 and you will see something strange. Rachel Talbot-Ross(D)won 100% of the vote, and apparently nobody at all voted for her opponent, not even himself. Portland is a very liberal city, and Dems from the city running for state legislature often win by very large margins, but I have still never seen a unanimous election before.

I remember several districts in, I think, Pennsylvania where not a single voter voted for Romney, not exactly the same thing but it sure seemed odd to me at the time.

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**Author:** ![2nd\_Law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/f475e1/32.png) [@2nd\_Law](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2nd_Law)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanimous-elections/771279/3 "2016-11-09T21:13:37Z")

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Per the Maine Legislative website:

[District 40 - Carol C. Taylor (R-Portland)…(Withdrew after 8/30/16; cannot be replaced; name will remain on the ballot but votes for the candidate will not be counted)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/house/128cand/gen_wdraw_ad.htm)

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**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unanimous-elections/771279/4 "2016-11-09T21:41:17Z")

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Lincoln was recorded as getting zero popular votes in 9 soon to secede states in 1860. There was no 100% winner in those states since Douglas, Bell and Breckinridge all got some votes. And Lincoln wasn’t there to fail to vote for himself. 🙂 It was still remarkable though compared to what’s considered polarized now, that _nobody_ in multiple states voted for the electoral college winner. People speak off hand now almost as if that were true (‘nobody’ in X very liberal or conservative state supports GOP/Democrat) but back then it literally was.