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Arizona judicial elections
Judges in Arizona are elected in retention elections and the partisan election of judges. Judges on the Arizona Supreme Court and the Arizona Court of Appeals are selected by gubernatorial appointment from a nominating commission.[1]
Arizona is one of eight states that use partisan elections to initially select judges and then use retention elections to determine whether judges should remain on the bench. To read more about how states use judicial elections to select judges across the country, click here.
| Supreme Court | Courts of Appeal | Superior Court | Justices of the Peace |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merit selection - Full term: 6 years | Merit selection - Full term: 6 years | Merit selection or Nonpartisan election of judges - Full term: 4 years | Partisan election of judges - Four-year terms |
Elections
- Arizona Supreme Court elections, 2024
- Arizona intermediate appellate court elections, 2024
- Arizona Supreme Court elections, 2022
- Arizona intermediate appellate court elections, 2022
- Arizona Supreme Court elections, 2020
- Arizona intermediate appellate court elections, 2020
- Arizona Supreme Court elections, 2018
- Arizona intermediate appellate court elections, 2018
- Arizona local trial court judicial elections, 2018
- Arizona judicial elections, 2016
- Arizona judicial elections, 2014
- Arizona judicial elections, 2012
- Arizona judicial elections, 2010
Election rules
Primary election
Judges of the Arizona Superior Court in counties with populations under 250,000 are chosen in a partisan primary and then face nonpartisan general elections.[2]
Candidates for the Arizona Justice Courts participate in primary elections throughout the state. Candidates that advance from the partisan primary compete in the general election.[1]
General election
Arizona general elections are held on the first Tuesday in November of every even-numbered year. If a victory margin is within one-half of one percent, there will be an automatic recount unless the defeated candidate provides a waiver to the recount.[3]
Appellate court judges as well as superior court judges in Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal counties stand for retention.[1]
Retention election
In counties with populations greater than 250,000—Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal counties—superior court judges are chosen through a merit selection system. In these counties, judges are appointed by the governor with the help of a selection commission. At the end of their term, the judges remain in office through uncontested retention elections every four years.[2][1]
Counties with populations less than 250,000 have the option to adopt the merit selection process through ballot initiative.[1]
See also
External links
- State Bar of Arizona, "Merit Selection," accessed April 28, 2014
- Arizona Law Review, "Reflections on Arizona's Judicial Selection Process," accessed April 28, 2014
Footnotes
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Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Arizona • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Arizona
State courts:
Arizona Supreme Court • Arizona Court of Appeals • Arizona Superior Court • Arizona Justice Courts • Arizona Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Arizona • Arizona judicial elections • Judicial selection in Arizona
