ST. LOUIS – One of the ballot questions some Missouri voters might skip over is whether judges should be retained. Some voters wish there were an easier way to learn about the justices.
Jason Klein is a registered, St. Louis voter. He cast a no-excuse absentee ballot on Friday but wished more information were available about the judges on his ballot.
“I tried to do my own research online, but you have to do a lot of digging to find out about someone’s judicial record,” Klein said.
The election officials said many voters feel the same way.
“Voters will be staring at the end of their ballot,” said Ben Borgmeyer, St. Louis City Democratic election director.
Borgmeyer said the election board sends sample ballots to help voters prepare. In Missouri, voters are asked if they want to keep judges after their term expires.
Hon. Bruce Hilton, with Missouri’s 21st Judicial Circuit Court, said it is not unusual for voters to have a disconnect with judges. The circuit judge said many voters do not have direct contact with courts on a regular basis.
Hilton and Borgmeyer said voters can visit the website for more information about judges in Missouri.
“There’s a committee made up of lawyers, laypeople, retired judges that evaluate all of our nonpartisan judges,” Hilton said.
Klein said he visited the website and believed even more information would be helpful.
“If they’re on the ballot, it’s not worth having them there if you just show up, and you don’t know how to vote,” he said.