The Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron released a survey yesterday focused on Ohio judicial elections. The survey was conducted during the final six weeks of last year’s election and was co-sponsored by the Ohio Supreme Court, Ohio League of Women Voters, Ohio State Bar Association, and Justice at Stake. The purpose was to gauge the participation and attitudes of registered voters toward judicial elections. Here are a few key results:
- About half of registered voters vote less frequently for judges compared to other offices.
- 63% of voters say a lack of knowledge about candidates is a “very important” factor as to why they fail to cast a ballot for judges.
- 56% believe that “due to problems with elections, it is likely that unqualified people are elected as judges.”
- 63% are open to alternative methods for selecting judges.
Voters find a candidate’s professional background and views on crime to be the most important when evaluating judicial races. Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor was a key partner for the survey. She has been an outspoken advocate in recent years for reform to Ohio’s electoral system for judges. In 2013, she proposed an 8-point plan to improve Ohio’s judicial elections. In 2014, she reintroduced her plan, simplifying it from 8 points to 3. The current proposal includes elevating judicial elections by holding them all together in odd-numbered years and moving them to the top of the ballot, educating voters about judicial elections and encouraging them to participate, and requiring more legal experience from judicial candidates.
The survey results are specifically meant to support the second point of the plan, as the partners for the survey (and the Ohio Newspaper Association) are working together to launch a judicial voter education website. The site will inform voters on the responsibilities and duties of judges and different courts, as well as provide information on individual judicial candidates. According to the survey, 86% of voters believe a non-partisan voter guide would be at least “somewhat helpful.”
For over a decade, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce has been a leader in the effort to educate employers – and all Ohioans – about the role and importance of the Ohio Supreme Court. The court’s direct impact on the stability of Ohio’s legal system, which is critical to Ohio’s economic competitiveness and overall business climate, cannot be overstated. Anything that would further educate voters on judicial elections would be a step in the right direction.
As far as the process is concerned, all three points require legislative changes. Only the first point, moving judicial races to off-year elections and to the top of the ballot, also requires a constitutional amendment that will need voter approval. That’s why Chief Justice O’Connor appeared before the Constitutional Modernization Commission earlier this month to discuss her plan.