Our approach: 80 players in clan, a lot more than 1 player getting fame and participating in townhall => growing townhall with more buildings available.
This is an unrealistic approach, for the fact that, let's say that 1 clan of 80 players owns 1 map. In the Town Hall, it requires a lot of fame to win a single election.
So naturally, you will have to focus all of your fame into 1-2 player at a time per period.
Despite everyone defending, you simply cannot make them win. The fame standard is too high. That it requires to be together, to collect fame together, to win one after the other.
Standard fame across the town hall being too high, creates this disconnection between players who defend and Town Hall applicants.
If you connect the dot, now you will understand why despite having so many active player in a server, there is less applicants.
Edit: Let's say that a player loss while trying to win a specific office, in the next try, that player will most likely increase his bid in the election. Then win. Then another player lose. That player again increase his bid. This occur to another player yet again and now, that's how the standard fame across the Town Hall increase.