Finish the Ballot: Why Your Vote on Judges Matters
When Arizonans vote, we usually hear the most about candidates for Congress, Governor, Legislature, city council, school board or ballot propositions. But there is another important part of the ballot that is easy to miss: judges.
Judges make decisions that affect people’s lives in profound ways. Courts touch families, housing, public safety, civil rights, business disputes, elections, immigration questions, child welfare, criminal cases and the basic fairness of our public systems. For many people, a courtroom is one of the places where government becomes very real and very personal.
That is why LAMA encourages voters to finish the ballot.
In Arizona, some judges are elected directly by voters, while others are appointed through a merit-selection process and later appear on the ballot in retention elections. In a retention election, voters are not choosing between two candidates. Instead, they are voting “yes” or “no” on whether a judge should remain in office.
This year, the Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review has released performance ratings for judges eligible for retention on the 2026 general election ballot. The Commission’s work is designed to help voters make informed decisions. Rather than asking voters to rely on guesswork, campaign mailers or a familiar-sounding name, Arizona provides a public review process for merit-selected judges.
The Commission gathers input from people who have observed the judge at work, including jurors, witnesses, litigants, people who represent themselves in court, attorneys and court staff. Judges are evaluated on legal ability, integrity, communication, temperament and administrative performance. The Commission then reports whether each judge “Meets” or “Does Not Meet” judicial performance standards.
That information matters.
A Lutheran approach to public life begins with the conviction that government, at its best, can help preserve order, protect people, restrain harm and promote a more just and peaceful society. Courts are a key part of that public trust. Judges are called to be fair, impartial, careful, honest and attentive to the dignity of every person who comes before them.
Voting on judges is one way we take responsibility for the common good.
It is also a nonpartisan responsibility. Judges in Arizona’s merit-selection and retention system appear on the ballot as nonpartisan candidates. The Judicial Performance Review process does not include political affiliation in its reports. That is important. Judicial retention elections are not supposed to be partisan scorecards. They are opportunities for voters to ask whether a judge has demonstrated the ability, integrity, temperament and fairness required for the role.
For people of faith, this is not a small concern. Scripture repeatedly calls God’s people to seek justice, protect the vulnerable and care about whether public systems treat people fairly. When courts function well, they help uphold accountability and due process. When courts fail, the consequences are often felt most sharply by people with the fewest resources: low-income neighbors, immigrants, children, people with disabilities, survivors of violence, people facing eviction, and those who cannot easily navigate legal systems.
That does not mean every voter will reach the same conclusion about every judge. It does mean we should not skip this part of the ballot.
Here are a few ways to prepare:
First, look up the judges on your ballot. Your ballot may include statewide judges, appellate judges and county-level judges, depending on where you live. Not every voter will see the same judicial races.
Second, read the official Judicial Performance Review reports. The reports provide performance ratings and survey data to help voters understand how each judge has been evaluated by people with direct experience in the courtroom.
Third, use more than one reliable source when possible. The official JPR reports are the best starting point, but voters may also want to read the Secretary of State’s Publicity Pamphlet and other nonpartisan voter resources.
Fourth, resist voting by name recognition alone. Judges often do not campaign in the same visible way other candidates do, and many voters arrive at this section of the ballot with little information. Taking a few minutes to review the performance reports can make your vote more thoughtful and informed.
Finally, vote all the way to the end of the ballot. Judicial races and retention questions often appear after the offices and ballot propositions that receive more public attention. But these votes still matter.
LAMA does not tell voters how to vote on individual judges. Instead, we encourage every voter to take judicial choices seriously, seek reliable information and consider the kind of courts Arizona needs: courts marked by fairness, integrity, competence, patience and respect for the dignity of all people.
Our democracy depends not only on who writes the laws, but also on how those laws are interpreted and applied. Judges help determine whether people receive a fair hearing, whether rights are protected, whether power is held accountable and whether the rule of law is carried out with wisdom and restraint.
So when your ballot arrives, do not stop early.
Research the judges. Read the performance reviews. Pray, reflect and vote with care.
Finish the ballot.
Voters have the power to remove or retain judges during the retention elections. View a printable list of judges eligible for retention in the 2026 General Election.
Everything you need to know about judges in Arizona
Selection of Judges
According to the Arizona Judicial Branch at AZCourts.gov, judges who are screened and selected by public committees (see description below) and appointed by the Governor are:
Supreme Court justices;
Court of Appeals judges, and
Superior court judges in Coconino, Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal counties.
Once appointed, the judges are retained or rejected by the voters every four years for these four superior courts and every six years for the appellate courts.
Judges who are elected are superior court judges from Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Mohave, Navajo, Santa Cruz, Yavapai, and Yuma counties, and justices of the peace.
City magistrates and municipal judges are usually appointed according to the law governing the city or municipality. Yuma voters elect their municipal judges. Phoenix and Tucson municipal court judges are nominated by a merit commission.
The following info is from Balletpedia:
Arizona Supreme Court
The seven justices on the Arizona Supreme Court are each appointed by the governor from a list of names compiled by the Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments. The commission is composed of 16 members who serve staggered four-year terms. The membership includes 10 non-attorneys, five attorneys, and the chief justice of the supreme court, who chairs the commission.
The initial term of a new justice is at least two years, after which the justice stands for retention in an uncontested yes-no election. Subsequent terms last six years. For more information on these retention elections, visit the Arizona judicial elections page.
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a justice:
“Must be admitted to the practice of law in Arizona and be a resident of Arizona for the 10 years immediately before taking office;
May not practice law while a member of the judiciary;
May not hold any other political office or public employment;
May not hold office in any political party;
May not campaign, except for him/herself; and,
Must retire at age 70.”
Chief justice
The court's chief justice is selected by peer vote. He or she serves in that capacity for five years.[8]
Vacancies
See also: How vacancies are filled in state supreme courts
If a midterm vacancy occurs on the court, the seat is filled as it normally would be if the vacancy occurred at the end of a justice's term. Potential justices submit applications to the Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments, and once the commission has chosen a slate of nominees, the governor picks one from that list. After occupying the seat for two years, the newly appointed justice stands for retention in the next general election. The justice then serves a full six-year term if he or she is retained by voters.
Arizona Court of Appeals
The 22 judges of the Arizona Court of Appeals are appointed by the governor from a list of names compiled by the Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments. The commission is composed of 16 members who serve staggered four-year terms. The membership includes 10 non-attorneys, five attorneys, and the chief justice of the supreme court, who chairs the commission.
The initial term of a new judge is at least two years, after which the judge stands for retention in an uncontested yes-no election. Subsequent terms last six years. For more information on these retention elections, visit the Arizona judicial elections page.
The court of appeals is divided into two divisions. Sixteen judges are in Division One and are based in Phoenix, Arizona. The other six judges are in Division Two and are based in Tucson, Arizona.
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:
a state resident;
licensed to practice law in Arizona for at least five years;
of good moral character; and,
at least 30 years old and under the age of 70 (retirement by 70 is mandatory).
Chief judge
The chief judge of each division is selected by a peer vote. He or she serves in that capacity for one year.
Vacancies
If a midterm vacancy occurs on the court, the seat is filled as it normally would be if the vacancy occurred at the end of a judge's term. Potential judges submit applications to the Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments, and once the commission has chosen a slate of nominees, the governor picks one from that list. After occupying the seat for two years, the newly appointed judge stands for retention in the next general election. The judge then serves a full six-year term if he or she is retained by voters.
Superior Courts
Judges of the Arizona Superior Court are selected in one of two ways:
In counties with a population exceeding 250,000, judges are appointed by the governor from a list of names compiled by the Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments.
Coconino, Pima, Pinal, and Maricopa counties use this method. The state constitution provides for other counties to adopt merit selection through a ballot initiative, which Coconino County did in 2018.
After an appointment, judges serve for two years and then must run in a yes-no retention election in the next general election. If retained, judges will go on to serve a four-year term.
If a vacancy occurs in the middle of a judge's term in a county with a population of less than 250,000, the governor appoints a judicial candidate to serve until the next general election. The winner of the nonpartisan election will serve the remainder of the unexpired term. If a vacancy occurs at the end of a judge's term, the vacancy will be filled through a nonpartisan election and the winner will serve a four-year term.
Presiding Judge
A presiding judge is chosen by the supreme court for each superior court that has two or more superior court judges.
Limited Jurisdiction Courts
Arizona has two types of limited jurisdiction court(s): justice courts and municipal courts.
Arizona Justice Courts
Judges of the Arizona Justice Courts are each elected to four-year terms. The elections for this court are partisan contested elections. To serve on this court, a judge must be a registered voter in Arizona, a resident of the justice court precinct, and able to read and write English. A law degree is not required.
Arizona Municipal Courts
Judges of the Arizona Municipal Courts are appointed to terms of varying lengths by the governing body of their municipality, except in Yuma, Arizona. In Yuma, judges on these courts are elected.
Selection of Federal Judges
United States district court judges, who are selected from each state, go through a different selection process from that of state judges.
The district courts are served by Article III federal judges, who are appointed for life during good behavior. They are usually first recommended by senators (or members of the House, occasionally). The President of the United Statesnominates judges, who must then be confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article III of the United States Constitution.
Courts in Arizona
In Arizona, there is one federal district court, a state supreme court, a state court of appeals, trial courts, and tribal courts with both general and limited jurisdiction. These courts serve different purposes, which are outlined in the sections below.
Click a link for information about that court type.
The image below depicts the flow of cases through Arizona's state court system. Cases typically originate in the trial courts and can be appealed to courts higher up in the system.
