There are several different methods utilized by states within the nation for judicial selection. First, there are partisan elections that list the candidates’ party affiliation on the ballot. Second is nonpartisan elections in which no party affiliation is listed. The third involves a process called legislative selection in which members of the legislature appoint judicial candidates to office. Fourth is the appointment by the governor in a gubernatorial appointment process. Lastly, there is assisted appointment, also known as merit selection, in which a nominating committee selects qualified individuals for office and then the governor appoints candidates from the approved list to office. After an initial term, the people of the state then vote on whether the candidate will serve another term in a retention election.
Texas currently utilizes partisan elections for judicial candidates. While I agree the vote needs to remain with the people of our great state, I do not feel that voters are doing Texas any justice by simply voting for an individual based on party affiliation. The voters need to become educated on what platform, beliefs, and values the candidate possess and how they plan on serving the needs of our state. With that said, I feel that nonpartisan elections for judicial offices would be the best method to utilize. It still allows the people to have a voice but requires them to get to know the candidates and removes the game of partisanship from the election.
