Term,Summary,Description,Title
Missouri Plan/Merit Selection,The governor appoints a judge from a nominating commission's suggestions. Sitting judges run for additional terms in retention elections.,"Missouri Plan/Merit Selection: A judicial selection model which combines certain elements of appointment- and election-based selection methods. Under the Missouri Plan, first adopted by its namesake state, judicial vacancies are filled by the governor, who appoints a judge from a slate of candidates selected by a nominating commission. Sitting judges approaching the end of their terms may seek additional terms through standing in an unopposed yes/no retention election.",Missouri Plan/Merit Selection
Nominating Commission,An independent commission evaluates candidates and forwards a list of those deemed most-qualified to the appointing authority,"Judicial Nominating Commission: Many states that appoint judges enlist a nominating commission to evaluate candidates for a judicial vacancy. The commission forwards a short list of candidates it finds most qualified to the appointing authority. Judicial nominating commissions vary widely in their size, composition, and power. Commissioners—who can be lawyers or non-lawyers—are typically appointed by the state’s legislative and executive leaders, and the state bar association also often appoints or nominates members. A commission’s suggestions can be binding, meaning the appointing authority’s selection must come from the commission’s list, or nonbinding, in which case the authority may select from the commission’s list but is not required to do so.",Nominating Commission
Binding Commission,The appointing authority must select from the commission's list of suggested candidates,The appointing authority must select from the commission's list of suggested candidates,Binding Nominating Commission
Nonbinding Commission,The appointing authority may select from the commission's list of suggested candidates but is not compelled to do so,The appointing authority may select from the commission's list of suggested candidates but is not compelled to do so,Nonbinding Nominating Commission
Gubernatorial Appointment,A judicial candidate is selected by the governor for appointment,Gubernatorial Appointment: Judicial candidate is selected by the governor for appointment.,Gubernatorial Appointment
Confirmation,The governor's judicial nominee must be confirmed by a governmental body,"Confirmation: Where judges are appointed by the governor, some form of confirmation of the governor’s selection by a representative body may be required. State law can make confirmation the responsibility of one or both branches of a legislative body, a commission of government officials, or a council of elected representatives.",Confirmation
Senate,Governor's selection must be confirmed by the state Senate,Governor's selection must be confirmed by the state Senate,Senate Confirmation
House & Senate,Governor's selection must be confirmed by both state legislative houses,Governor's selection must be confirmed by both state legislative houses,House & Senate Confirmation
Joint Committee,Governor's selection must be confirmed by a judicial standing committee with members of both state houses,Governor's selection must be confirmed by a judicial standing committee made up of members of both state legislative houses,Joint Committee Confirmation
Commission on Judicial Appointments,"Governor's selection must be confirmed by a three-member commission of the chief justice, the state attorney general, and the presiding justice of the court of appeals or the affected district","Governor's selection must be confirmed by a three-member commission of the chief justice, the state attorney general, and the presiding justice of the court of appeals or the affected district",Commission on Judicial Appointments
Executive Council,Governor's selection must be confirmed by a five-member commission whose members are elected every two years,Governor's selection must be confirmed by a five-member commission whose members are elected every two years,Executive Council Confirmation
Governor's Council,Governor's selection must be confirmed by a nine-person commission whose members are the lieutenant governor and eight regional members elected every two years,Governor's selection must be confirmed by a nine-person commission whose members are the lieutenant governor and eight regional representatives elected every two years,Governor's Council Confirmation
Elections,Judges are selected in popular elections,"Elections: In judicial elections, candidates appear on the ballot in state or municipal elections, with the candidate with the largest share of the popular vote filling the vacant court seat. Judicial elections can be partisan, where judicial candidates appear on the ballot alongside their political party affiliation, or nonpartisan, where party affiliation is not designated on the ballot.",Elections
Nonpartisan Elections,Judges are selected in nonpartisan elections,Nonpartisan Elections: Judges are selected in nonpartisan elections.,Nonpartisan Elections
Partisan Elections,Judges or are selected in partisan elections,Partisan Elections: Judges are selected in partisan elections.,Partisan Elections
Retention Elections,Sitting judges seeking additional terms stand in uncontested yes/no elections,"Retention Elections: In some states, sitting judges seeking additional terms stand in uncontested retention elections. In such elections, the judge stands for an up-or-down vote, and no other candidates appear on the ballot. In most retention election systems, a judge must receive a simple majority in order to be retained (ie., more votes in favor of retention than against); however, some states, such as Illinois, require a higher percentage of the vote in order for a judge to be retained.",Retention Elections
Legislative Appointment,Judges are selected by a vote of the state Legislature,"Legislative Appointment: In a few states, judges are selected by a vote of the state Legislature.",Legislative Appointment
Hybrid,Judges are selected using a combination of different appointive or elective methods,"Hybrid Selection: The Missouri Plan is not the only way that states combine appointive and elective judicial selection methods. For instance, some states use a version of the Missouri Plan without a binding nominating commission and Hawaii uses a judicial selection commission instead of retention elections to decide whether sitting judges are retained for additional terms. ",Hybrid
Supreme Court Appointment,Judges are selected by a vote of the state supreme court,"Supreme Court Appointment: More common among lower courts than courts of last resort, some states select judges by a vote of the state supreme court.",Supreme Court Appointment
Commission Reappoints,An independent commission determines whether a sitting judge is reappointed to additional terms,Commission Reappointment: An independent commission determines whether a sitting judge is reappointed to additional terms,Commission Reappoints
Not Applicable,There is no intermediate appellate court in these states.,There is no intermediate appellate court in these states.,Not Applicable
Varies,Selection methods differ across judicial districts,"Varies: In some state trial courts the judicial selection method “varies,” meaning that different selection methods are utilized in different judicial districts. The judicial selection method applied in each district can depend on a district’s population or it can be subject to local ballot initiative.",
Interim Selection,"The method for filling a vacant court seat that becomes open in the middle of a judge’s term (for example, due to retirement).","The method for filling a vacant court seat that becomes open in the middle of a judge’s term (for example, due to retirement).",
First Full Term,"The method for filling a vacant court seat that becomes open at the end of a judge’s term (for example, due to retirement or the loss of a retention election).","The method for filling a vacant court seat that becomes open at the end of a judge’s term (for example, due to retirement or the loss of a retention election).",
Additional Terms,How a judge approaching the end of a full term stands for additional terms.,How a judge approaching the end of a full term stands for additional terms.,