Unsure about how to vote in California Supreme Court election? You’re not alone – CalMatters

Unsure about how to vote in California Supreme Court election? You’re not alone  CalMatters

Two California Supreme Court judges are on the ballot in November for a retention election. Voters have only once removed justices from the bench. Why do we vote on judges, and how are we supposed to decide? It’s a recurring question we’re hearing in our conversations with voters this fall. Judges aren’t exactly household names, although one on your ballot shares a name with a certain multiplatinum-selling musician. They generally don’t campaign, either. The simple answer to the question, though, is that our state constitution requires it. California justices serve 12-year terms rather than the lifetime appointments that federal judges receive. Unlike conventional elections, state Supreme Court and appeals court judges don’t run against opponents.

Instead, voters are given a simple yes-or-no question on retaining a judge. If a majority votes a judge out, the governor appoints their replacement. That’s why your ballot asks whether two California Supreme Court justices, Kelli Evans and Joshua Groban, should keep their jobs. You’ll also see a number of appeals court justices depending on where you live. Californians only used their power to unseat sitting justices once. That was in 1986 when voters swept three state supreme court justices off the bench over their rulings against death sentences. Governors nominate appeals court and Supreme Court justices, but that isn’t the end of the process.