Nebraska judicial elections
Judges in Nebraska stand in retention elections that occur during the November general election. The retention system is called the Judicial Retention or Merit Selection System. Voters adopted the system by voting to amend the Nebraska Constitution in 1962. This amendment applied only to judges of the supreme court and district courts, but the system now applies to all judges.[1]
The official website for the Nebraska Judicial Branch states that voters chose this system over a judicial election system to ensure qualified judges, representative nominating commissions consisting of lawyers and nonlawyers, impartial courts, candidates from diverse economic backgrounds, and accountability.[1]
Nebraska is one of six states that use retention elections to determine whether judges should remain on the bench without using another type of election as an initial selection method. To read more about how states use judicial elections to select judges across the country, click here.
| Supreme Court | Courts of Appeal | District Courts |
|---|---|---|
| Retention election - Six-year terms | Retention election - Six-year terms | Retention election - Six-year terms |
Elections
- Nebraska Supreme Court elections, 2024
- Nebraska Supreme Court elections, 2022
- Nebraska intermediate appellate court elections, 2022
- Nebraska Supreme Court elections, 2020
- Nebraska intermediate appellate court elections, 2020
- Nebraska Supreme Court elections, 2018
- Nebraska local trial court judicial elections, 2018
- Nebraska judicial elections, 2016
- Nebraska judicial elections, 2014
- Nebraska judicial elections, 2012
- Nebraska judicial elections, 2010
Election rules
Retention election
In Nebraska's retention elections, voters are asked whether they think a judge should be retained, and they indicate this with either a "yes" or "no" vote. If the judge has more "yes" than "no" votes, the judge is retained for a new term. Judges do not face opponents in retention elections. Judges face retention elections every six years, except for newly appointed judges, who must face retention in the first general election occurring more than three years after their appointment.[1]
Performance evaluations
Every two years, Nebraska lawyers evaluate the performance of the state's judges, rating various characteristics and giving their opinions on whether or not the judge should be retained. Among the categories rated are legal analysis, impartiality, attentiveness, fairness, appropriate communication, and timeliness. The Nebraska State Bar Association coordinates the evaluation, which is available in the fall of each election year.[2][1]
See also
External links
- State of Nebraska Judicial Branch, "Voters’ guide to Nebraska’s judicial retention elections," February 14, 2014, accessed April 24, 2014
- State of Nebraska Judicial Branch, "American Bar Association's guidelines for reviewing qualifications of candidates for state judicial office," March 11, 2013, accessed April 24, 2014
Footnotes
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Federal courts:
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Nebraska • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Nebraska
State courts:
Nebraska Supreme Court • Nebraska Court of Appeals • Nebraska District Courts • Nebraska County Courts • Nebraska Separate Juvenile Courts • Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court • Nebraska Problem-Solving Courts
State resources:
Courts in Nebraska • Nebraska judicial elections • Judicial selection in Nebraska
