The current system of electing local judges is a real mess. The people who voted in the judicial races on September 5th had to choose from candidates they might not have even heard of. That's not the only problem.
Most incumbents raise so much campaign money that they run unopposed.
And several judges have been under investigation for various misdeeds. We think two proposals on the November 7th ballot would help solve these problems. The measures would allow circuit and county court judges to be selected through merit retention. The governor would pick judges from a carefully chosen list of candidates. And every few years, voters would then decide whether to retain those judges.