This contribution was originally published in The Irish Times on October 17th 2025.

I regularly hear people frustrated about the supposed lack of choice in this year’s presidential election with three names on the ballot, but only two actually running.

It might feel unusual, but a little digging shows it is actually quite common. Of the fourteen presidential elections Ireland has held, six were completely unopposed. That’s about 40 percent of all contests, or nearly 70 percent if you count by individual Presidents.

The last time it happened was 2004 with Mary McAleese, not exactly a lifetime ago but maybe three terms is long enough to make it feel like ancient history.

Unopposed elections in turn also mean there’s no vote at all, so at least now you still have the ability to exercise your democratic right. While it may admittedly not be an abundance of a choice, it still beats having no voice.