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Other Judicial Election Websites

There are many different websites which provide information on the judicial election process, or on the state court system generally. Some of them openly advocate for certain reforms or ideologies, while others merely provide information. You can also visit your own state’s Secretary of State website for more information about judicial elections.

An online list of neutral voter guides for each state is provided by the American Judicature Society.

Here is a partial list of other sites which discuss judicial elections:

I. Sites which provide information on state court judges and state court systems:

Judgepedia

This is a Wiki site which provides information about every state’s judicial system and judicial selection process. It also includes information about federal judges and courts.II. Sites which provide information on judicial candidates

A. National Sites

Ballotpedia

This site lists the candidates for every election in the United States, including judicial elections, and contains a short biography of all judicial candidates.

B. State-Specific Sites

Colorado

Know Your Judge

This site is a good example of a state-based judicial evaluation project. It provides comprehensive information and recommendations for retention for all the judges on the ballot in the state of Colorado. It is sponsored by the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, which conducts its own evaluations of judges and then provides recommendations based on those evaluations.

Illinois

Vote for Judges

This site gathers endorsements and information about judicial candidates in and around the city of Chicago. 

Ohio

Judicial Votes Count

This website provides background material on almost all judicial candidates in Ohio.  It also solicits and publishes statements by the candidates as to why they are running and how they view their judicial philosophy.

Judge4Yourself

This site gathers recommendations and endorsements from various organizations for judicial candidates on every level in Ohio, focusing on judges in the Cleveland area.

Washington

Voting for Judges

This is another example of a state-based judicial evaluation project, this time for the state of Washington. It is a little more basic than Know Your Judge, since it does not rate or evaluate judges itself; instead, it serves as a clearinghouse for the recommendations and endorsements of other groups.

 

C. Ideologically-driven sites

These are examples of websites which openly advocating for judges who have specific kinds of judicial philosophies or political beliefs.

Judge Voter Guide

This site covers judicial elections in southern California, with the goal of electing judges who are “strict constructionists” and getting rid of “judicial activists” (judges who are “political opportunists who have a political agenda”)

III. Sites which support reforming the judicial selection process

Justice at Stake

This organization “educates Americans about the crucial role of state and federal courts, defends judges from threats and intimidation, promotes diversity, and advocates reforms to keep campaign cash out of the courtroom.” It seems to focus on the impact of money in state judicial elections, but also provides useful information about all levels of courts and advocates for other judicial reforms as well, such as reducing the backlog of federal judge appointments.

American Judicature Society

This organization seeks to “limit the role of politics in the selection of state judges.” The website provides comprehensive information about each state’s judicial election process, a history of reform efforts in each state, and information about each state’s current judicial campaigns.

 


Choose Your Judges is a non-partisan organization dedicated to increasing voter awareness in judicial elections. If you have any comments or feedback about the site, please let us know.