Judicial Qualifications & Selection

LWVAL Action Priority Level II - Monitoring occurs; action dependent on opportunity and available resources.

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LWVAL is monitoring this bill:

HB602 - Judges, circuit and district, nonpartisan election, filing fee, Secs. 17-6-20, 17-6-24, 17-6-25, 17-13-8 am'd.

Sponsor(s): Representative C. Newton

Summary/Synopsis: This bill provides for the nonpartisan election of circuit and district court judges as opposed to the current system of partisan elections. Candidates would file and be listed on the ballot without any party identification. Candidates would have to pay a filing fee and qualify for the primary election but would be listed under the heading of Official Nonpartisan Judicial Ballot without a party designation. A candidate receiving a majority of the votes cast would appear on the General Election ballot. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes would appear on the General Election ballot. A candidate for a judgeship that is unopposed at the primary election stage would not appear on the primary ballot but would appear on the general election ballot.
League Action and Justification: LWVAL is monitoring HB602.

The League has no official position on nonpartisan judicial elections per se. The League position on judicial selection is that "Judges should be chosen by a form of merit selection with reappointment subject to approval of the voters."

Bill Progress in Legislature:
04/10/2013: First Reading and referred to the


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