- When there is a Supreme Court vacancy, most Americans are familiar with the process.

For the Supremes and all federal level courts.

The President nominates candidates and the Senate votes to confirm what amounts to a job for life, but who selects the thousands of state and local court judges whose decisions directly affect our lives.

(gentle music) Why care about who judges the judges?

State and local judges make rulings on issues that fundamentally affect everyone's life.

Family law, divorce, dividing property and determining custody of children.

They hear criminal cases from felonies and misdemeanors to simpler traffic violations and broken contracts.

Plus many cases filed in state Supreme Courts determine state law, for instance, can an Ohio town regulate local fracking operations?

Can our state increase public education spending or not?

These are all reasons why it is critical that voters choose judges who are qualified and fair, but it's complicated.

First, not all local judges are elected by voters.

Some states allow their legislatures to select judges.

Here's the rub.

In an increasingly polarized world, judicial election campaigns have become high stakes political battles with millions of campaign dollars pouring in from special interests near and far.

A 2023 race to fill a state Supreme court seat in Wisconsin was the most expensive judicial race in US history, spending surpassed $45 million according to the Wisconsin Democracy campaign.

Can a judge really apply the law fairly when their campaigns are financed by undisclosed donors?

There are a lot of calls for reform in this judicial election system.

Make it more transparent, put in term limits, make judges accountable.

But in the meantime, whether it's a partisan or non-partisan judicial election or a retention election, your vote matters.

Voters can be like an emergency backup plan to remove bad judges when appointments go wrong if you vote.

Studies have found that 25% of voters don't vote at all in judicial contests, 80% of voters can't even identify candidates.

But how do you judge a judge?

Right now, it comes down to good, old-fashioned Googling.

Check out their experience in education.

See who is endorsing the judge.

Check out prior opinions and public voting records and then if all else fails, you could always go down to the courthouse and observe the judge from the back of the courtroom.

(gentle music)