Judges inNebraska stand inretention elections that occur during the November general election. The retention system is called the Judicial Retention or Merit Selection System. Voters adopted the system by voting to amend theNebraska Constitution in 1962. This amendment applied only to judges of thesupreme court anddistrict courts, but the system now applies to all judges.^[1]

The official website for theNebraska Judicial Branch states that voters chose this system over a judicial election system to ensure qualified judges, representative nominating commissions consisting of lawyers and nonlawyers, impartial courts, candidates from diverse economic backgrounds, and accountability.^[1]

Nebraska is one of eight states that useretention elections to determine whether judges should remain on the bench without using another type of election as an initial selection method. To read more about how states use judicial elections to select judges across the country,click here.

Elections

• Nebraska intermediate appellate court elections, 2026
• Nebraska Supreme Court elections, 2024
• Nebraska Supreme Court elections, 2022
• Nebraska intermediate appellate court elections, 2022
• Nebraska Supreme Court elections, 2020
• Nebraska intermediate appellate court elections, 2020
• Nebraska Supreme Court elections, 2018
• Nebraska local trial court judicial elections, 2018
• Nebraska judicial elections, 2016
• Nebraska judicial elections, 2014
• Nebraska judicial elections, 2012
• Nebraska judicial elections, 2010

Election rules

Retention election

In Nebraska'sretention elections, voters are asked whether they think a judge should be retained, and they indicate this with either a "yes" or "no" vote. If the judge has more "yes" than "no" votes, the judge is retained for a new term. Judges do not face opponents in retention elections. Judges face retention elections every six years, except for newly appointed judges, who must face retention in the first general election occurring more than three years after their appointment.^[1]

Performance evaluations

Every two years, Nebraska lawyers evaluate the performance of the state's judges, rating various characteristics and giving their opinions on whether or not the judge should be retained. Among the categories rated are legal analysis, impartiality, attentiveness, fairness, appropriate communication, and timeliness. TheNebraska State Bar Association coordinates the evaluation, which is available in the fall of each election year.^[2][1]

See also

Nebraska	Judicial Selection	More Courts
Courts in NebraskaNebraska Court of AppealsNebraska Supreme Court	Elections:2026 •2025 •2024 •2023 •2022 •2021 •2020 •2019 •2018 •2017Gubernatorial appointmentsJudicial selection in Nebraska	Federal courtsState courtsLocal courts

External links

• State of Nebraska Judicial Branch, "Voters’ guide to Nebraska’s judicial retention elections," February 14, 2014, accessed April 24, 2014
• State of Nebraska Judicial Branch, "American Bar Association's guidelines for reviewing qualifications of candidates for state judicial office," March 11, 2013, accessed April 24, 2014

Footnotes

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