For Republicans and Independents voting a Republican ballot in the May 10th Primary Election, finding the judicial candidates of choice could be like a voting version of “Where’s Waldo.”
This is the first election under the change in state law where candidates for state Supreme Court, circuit judge, family court judge and magistrate run without party affiliation. Non-partisan races are always at the bottom of the ballot.
The GOP ballot is loaded down with candidates running for election as a delegate to the Republican National Convention in July. Voters will be asked to choose 22 at-large delegates from a list of 220 names and then three additional delegates from a list of between 40 and 50 names, depending on your congressional district.
After that, voters will finally see the judicial candidates. Those decisions are even more important this year because for the first time voters are electing office holders, not just nominating them for the November General Election.
Raleigh County Circuit Court Judge John Hutchison is among those worried the judicial races will not receive the attention from voters they deserve.
“I think that’s a real problem,” Hutchison told me on Talkline Wednesday. For example, he says Raleigh County voters will have to punch “next” on the voting machine screen 17 times to get to the judicial elections.
This won’t be a problem on the Democratic ballot because their delegate candidates are chosen through a caucus process and are not on the ballot.
Hutchison, who strongly supports the change in the law to diminish the influence of money and politics in judicial races, is among those who believe those races should have a more prominent place on the GOP ballot.
“Those need to be above any kind of giant cattle call kind of election for who is going to the national convention,” Hutchison told me. “That was something that was not thought out.”
Briana Wilson, communications director for Secretary of State Natalie Tennant, says the judicial races are after the RNC delegates because they are non-partisan. “The primary is technically a partisan nomination process, therefore any non-partisan races or questions on the ballot (levies, constitutional amendments) are after the partisan part of the ballot.”
Meanwhile, Judge Hutchison is trying to spread the word to voters using the Republican ballot, telling them, “Get out and vote for your judge because you’re not going to be able to do it in November.”
Good advice… if you can find them on the ballot.