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Electing Judges In Arkansas: It Wasn't Always This Way

CREDIT SALFALKO VIA FLICKR, CREATIVE COMMONS

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Credit CREDIT SALFALKO VIA FLICKR, CREATIVE COMMONS

In selecting a candidate for the state Supreme Court, Arkansans vote in non-partisan judicial elections. This means party affiliation is not indicated on the ballot, and candidates are prohibited by a code of conduct from talking about the issues.

But, that hasn’t always been the case. 

Non-partisan judicial elections began in Arkansas as a result of a constitutional amendment passed in 2000, known as Amendment 80.

KUAR’s Karen Tricot Steward spoke with political scientist Jay Barth of Hendrix College to explore the implications of a system meant to lessen the public perception that judgeships are political offices.

Copyright 2020 KUAR. To see more, visit KUAR.

As Content Development Director, Karen Tricot Steward oversees the creation of news and cultural programming and helps set standards and best practices. She manages content on our website and social media. Karen also coordinates the internship program and collaborates with journalism professors at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to teach students, helping fulfill public radio’s goal of serving the community by being a place of learning.