The Vote’s in Your Court is a resource for voters regarding judges and judicial elections. It includes the “Guide for Florida Voters,” an easy-to-read, nonpartisan brochure about the courts, the role of judges and the merit retention process.
Visit the Florida Division of Elections website or call 1-866-308-6739 for more information. You can also send an email.
The Guide for Florida Voters (Una Guía Para Los Votantes De Le Florida) answers questions such as:
Printed guides available in both English and Spanish are distributed to supervisors of elections offices and public libraries across the state.
Click on image to download the PDF
County court candidates run in nonpartisan, contested elections for six-year terms. Circuit court judges serve six-year terms and are elected by voters of the circuits in nonpartisan, contested elections.
Judicial Candidate Voluntary Self-Disclosure Statements give county and circuit court judicial candidates the opportunity to share information about their education, credentials and other relevant details with voters.
Supreme Court justices and District Courts of Appeal (DCA) judges are appointed by the governor. Newly appointed judges go on the ballot for the first time within two years after appointment. If the voters retain them, they then go on the ballot again every six years.
Every two years, The Florida Bar provides biographies of DCA judges and Florida Supreme Court justices in merit retention elections. Click on the map to see which counties are in which districts.
Every two years, the Florida Bar’s Constitutional Judiciary Committee oversees a statewide merit retention poll that asks in-state Florida Bar members to rate judges and justices who are up for retention votes and of whom they have direct knowledge. The poll results may be useful to Florida voters.
The merit retention poll for the 2022 election cycle went to active Florida Bar members located in-state in August. Results were distributed in September.
What is merit retention?
...and why am I being asked to vote on it?
Florida law requires Florida Supreme Court justices and appeals court judges to be placed on the ballot every six years so voters can determine whether they should remain on their courts for another term.
