Everything should be removed from ballots except for the position. You should then have to write in the candidate's name.
This is how elections work in Japan. It’s probably the most incumbent-friendly way of doing things there is.
Do they give you a list of candidates or are you supposed to have them memorized before you go into the booth?
Memorized. They don’t bunch elections, and it’s a parliamentary system so there aren’t that many elected offices anyway, so there’s typically no more than 1-2 offices on a given ballot, which makes it a bit easier. US elections where there can 10+ different offices on the ballot simultaneously would be impossible to manage.
And, yes, it’s hugely favorable to incumbents in part due to name recognition. Lack of names on the ballot also tends to make opposition votes splinter more than they would otherwise for whatever reason.
