Judge Elections are fixed in Oregon, as judges run unopposed
On this May's Election Ballot you probably notice that most all judges run unopposed
It turns out to be useless to try and protest a Judge election by writing in "None of the above"
It turns out to be useless to try and protest a Judge election by writing in "None of the above"
The main reason why judges mostly run unopposed in Oregon is that when judges retire, they do so before their term as judge expires. This gives the Oregon governor the power to choose and appoint a Judge favorable to the governor's politics, replacing the retiring judge.
You have to be a lawyer to run for a Judge position in Oregon. But if you are a lawyer, you're not likely to want to run against an appointed judge - because if you lose, the winning judge may not want to treat you fairly if you happen to have to bring a case before this judge.
Here's Lars Larson's critique of why Oregon's judge elections are most usually "fixed:" Lars Larson: The hidden judge election scheme | The Oregon Catalyst
Most all voters don't know much about the judge(s) on their ballot - I know I don't, and I follow politics a lot. So, it does seem tempting to protest the uncontested contest by writing in "None of the Above."
It turns out to be useless to try and protest a Judge election by writing in "None of the above"
It turns out to be useless to try and protest a Judge election by writing in "None of the above"
It turns out to be useless to try and protest a Judge election by writing in "None of the above"
I wrote the Oregon Secretary of State (e-mail just above) asking what would happen if a majority of voters wrote in for a particular election - such as in a case where a Judge runs for re-election unopposed - the words "None of the Above."
The Oregon Secretary of State's response is just above here.
The Oregon Secretary of State department says that in this case, the majority - who in the case write in "None of the Above" - would have their vote classified as not valid - and the majority would be classified as having undervoted. So, the unopposed Judge is still highly likely to be elected.
(posted by Elvis Clark on May 17, 2024)