Judicial Campaigns and Elections

Voter Guides

The Alabama League of Women Voters has prepared an online voters' guide for the 2008 appellate court elections. For each candidate, the guide provides biographical information, educational and professional qualifications, and their answers to fundamental, nonpartisan questions.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

The lieutenant governor publishes an official election pamphlet, which includes information on the judicial evaluation and retention system, the judicial council's evaluations, and paid statements and photographs submitted by candidates. The election pamphlet is mailed to Alaska voters and is available online. The 2010 pamphlet will soon be available.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

The commission on judicial performance review issues a report for inclusion in the Voter Information Guide published by the Arizona Secretary of State, which is mailed to all households with a registered voter. The report includes the commission's finding as to whether each judge whose name will appear on the ballot "meets" or "does not meet" performance standards. Any judges who are found not to meet standards are to be listed first. Click here to view the 2008 report. The commission also uses its website, www.azjudges.info, to disseminate voter information.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

Arkansas does not publish an official voter guide with information about judicial candidates. The secretary of state's office distributes a voter information guide for the general election that includes information about the education and professional background of appellate judges standing for retention and about the judicial selection process. The guide is available on the internet and is sent to the home of every registered voter.

Superior court candidates may file a candidate statement for inclusion in the voter's pamphlets prepared by the registrar of voters in each county. However, candidates who wish to be included in the voter's pamphlet may be required to pay their estimated pro rata share of the cost of printing and mailing the statement. Many candidates are unable or unwilling to publish a statement in the voter's pamphlet because of the cost.

A Know Your Judge website for the 2010 elections is provided by a partnership of the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, the Colorado Bar Association, the Colorado Judicial Institute, and the League of Women Voters of Colorado.

Click here for the 2010 judicial performance reviews.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

Connecticut does not publish an official voter guide with information about probate court candidates.

Judges do not stand for election in Delaware. Judges do not stand for election in the District of Columbia. N/A

Several months before the general election, the Florida Bar produces a pamphlet that explains the merit selection and retention process and includes photographs and biographical information for appellate court judges standing for retention. The pamphlets are made available to the public and to other concerned organizations for distribution. Click here for the 2008 pamphlet.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

Judges do not stand for election in Hawaii. Idaho does not publish an official voter guide with information about judicial candidates.

Since the 2002 elections, the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform has prepared an online voters' guide for judicial elections. The site provides judicial candidate profiles, information on the court system and the election process in Illinois, and links to bar associations and other sources of information. The 2010 guide will soon be available.

The Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice also provided an online voters' guide for the 2008 primary elections. The site included links to bar association evaluations of judicial candidates.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

The Indiana League of Women Voters publishes election information, including links to non-partisan websites that contain information about candidates. 

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

The Iowa Judicial Branch publishes voter information about judges standing for retention. The Iowa State Bar Association publishes the results of its judicial plebiscite survey one month before the general election. 

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

Evaluation results for judges standing for retention are provided by the Kansas Commission on Judicial Performance.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

For the 2008 elections, the League of Women Voters of New Orleans offers nonpartisan voter guides for Orleans Parish and Jefferson Parish.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

Maine does not publish an official voter guide with information about probate court candidates.

The local chapters of the League of Women Voters of Maryland offer nonpartisan voter guides that include judicial candidates for the primary and general elections. Guides for 2008 are available here.

Judges do not stand for election in Massachusetts.

For the first time in 2000, the Secretary of State's office provided an electronic voter guide with information about statewide candidates, statewide ballot proposals, and political parties. For supreme court candidates, the guide includes photographs, 300-word statements, and contact information. The 2008 guide is available here.

The League of Women Voters of Michigan offers nonpartisan voter guides for the primary and general elections. For the 2008 election. LWVMI collaborated with Publius to provide an online voter education guide, available here.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

The League of Women Voters Minnesota offers a voters' guide for the general election. Click here for the 2010 guide.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

In 2008, Missouri's supreme court amended its rules to establish a judicial performance evaluation program for judges included in the Nonpartisan Court Plan. Evaluation results are available online.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

The Nebraska State Bar Association provides a Judicial Retention Information Kit. The kit includes background information on the Bar's judicial evaluation poll, poll results, profiles of judges standing for retention, and factors to be considered in casting retention votes.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

Judges do not stand for election in New Hampshire. Judges do not stand for election in New Jersey.

The New Mexico League of Women Voters offers an online voters' guide for 2008 with information on statewide judicial candidates.

Judicial performance evaluation results for judges standing for retention in 2010 will soon be available.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

The New York State Unified Court System provides a 2008 Voter Guide for candidates for state trial courts (other than Town and Village Courts). The guide is available in Spanish, Chinese, and Korean.

Passed in 2002, the Judicial Campaign Reform Act calls for the distribution to all households in the state of a voter guide about appellate court candidates. The voter guide is prepared, published, and distributed by the State Board of Elections with money from the Public Campaign Fund. The 2008 guide is available here. 

The North Carolina Center for Voter Education has provided a voter guide for appellate races since the 2002 elections. The 2008 guide is available here.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

The Secretary of State offers a judicial voter guide that provides professional, educational, and biographical information about the candidates.

The League of Women Voters of Ohio provides a voter's guide that includes supreme court candidates.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

Oklahoma does not publish an official voter guide with information about judicial candidates, but the Oklahoma Bar Association provides general information about judges and elections.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

The Oregon State Bar provides a 2008 Judicial Candidate Voting Guide on its website.

The League of Women Voters of Oregon offers internet, print, and audio voters' guides for both the primary and general elections. The 2008 guide is available here.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

Pennsylvania does not publish an official voter guide with information about judicial candidates, but the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania Citizen Education Fund's Smart Voter website and the Pennsylvania Bar Association's PAVoteSmart website provide judicial election information. Judges do not stand for election in Rhode Island.

South Carolina does not publish an official voter guide with information about probate court candidates.

South Dakota does not publish an official voter guide with information about judicial candidates.

Tennessee does not publish an official voter guide with information about judicial candidates, but judicial evaluation reports are available online.

A 2001 law gives the secretary of state the option of publishing and distributing a voter information guide for judicial candidates. 

The League of Women Voters of Texas provides a voter's guide for the general election that includes responses from appellate court candidates to a series of questions.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.  

Voter information pamphlets are prepared and distributed by the state elections office. Pamphlets include information on the selection, retention, and evaluation process; a photograph and a short biography of the professional qualifications of judges standing for retention; and a summary of the judge's performance evaluation results. Pamphlets are mailed to all state residents, placed in state newspapers, and provided to county clerk offices. The 2008 pamphlet is available online.

Vermont does not publish an official voter guide with information about probate court candidates.

 

Judges do not stand for popular election in Virginia. By virtue of a 1912 constitutional amendment, the secretary of state's office has published a voter pamphlet for every general election since 1914. Judicial candidates were first included in 1972. However, the voter pamphlet was only distributed for the general election, did not include all judicial positions, and did not require disclosure of a candidate’s professional qualifications. In 1996, by order of the Washington Supreme Court, a judicial voter pamphlet was prepared for the primary elections through a public/private partnership between the office of the administrator of the courts (OAC) and Washington newspapers. The pamphlet was the result of a recommendation made in 1996 by the Walsh Commission, which was appointed to consider improvements to Washington's judicial selection process. The judicial voter pamphlet was prepared again in 1998. In 2000, the secretary of state's office published its first voter pamphlet for the primary elections and worked with the OAC to provide expanded information about judicial candidates. The pamphlet included such information as candidate backgrounds and personal statements. In 2002, the OAC and Washington newspapers again assumed the responsibility for preparing and disseminating the judicial voter pamphlet for the primary elections. The guide was available on the Washington courts’ website, and a video version featuring supreme court candidates was aired on the state’s public television network. In 2008, judicial candidates were included in the secretary of state's voter guide for the general election, along with a fact sheet on judicial elections in Washington. For more information about voter guides in Washington, see Judicial Selection Reform: Examples from Six States.

A website called Voting for Judges offers information regarding candidate ratings, endorsements, and campaign contributors.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.

West Virginia does not publish an official voter guide with information about judicial candidates; however, Lambda Legal has prepared an online voters' guide for 2008 judicial elections. For each candidate, the guide provides links to candidate websites, state judicial websites, and general state election information. The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin provides a voters' guide for the spring nonpartisan elections. The guide includes photographs and biographical information for appellate court candidates and their answers to several questions posed by the league. Click here to view the guide for the 2009 elections.

The League of Women Voters of Wyoming provides a Judicial Voters Guide for 2008.

Lambda Legal has prepared a judicial elections guide for 2008. For each state, the guide provides links to campaign websites, state court websites, and general state election information.