Voting On Judges? How To Judge On The Ballot

Being unfamiliar with judges is probably a good sign, that is until you have a choice to make on the General Election ballot. This year’s Judicial Retention section on the ballot includes a Justice of the Supreme Court and 6 judges from the Utah Court of Appeals. The Uintah County ballot also includes Judge Ray R. Richards of the Naples City and Uintah County Justice Courts. All voters should be aware there is a resource to help be informed when considering the judges on the ballot. The Duchesne County Election information shares that “Utah judges do not run against opposing candidates. Instead, they appear on the ballot in judicial retention elections, where voters decide whether a judge should remain in office for another term. Before voting on a judge, take the time to learn more about their performance on the bench. The Utah Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission (JPEC) conducts independent evaluations of judges who are standing for retention. The evaluations consider factors such as legal ability, fairness, judicial temperament, integrity, and other aspects of judicial performance.” Visit Judges.Utah.Gov to view the evaluations for the judges listed on your ballot.