Across the state, Nebraska voters will be asked this year whether 33 state court judges should be retained on the bench or removed from office, a process adopted in the state as a constitutional amendment in 1962.Ìý
Rather than running for election, the state's judges instead run for retention every six years. If there are more votes to retain a judge than to remove him or her, the judge remains on the bench.
While the system initially applied only to Supreme Court justices and district courts, it since has been extended to include all state judges.
In part to help voters make informed decisions about judges standing for retention, the Nebraska State Bar Association every two years asks lawyers to evaluate judges, rating them on characteristics including legal analysis, impartiality, attentiveness, opinions, judicial temperament, communication and timeliness.
People are also reading…
Here are the nine judges Lancaster County voters will see on their general election ballots, with the percentage of attorneys who believe the judge should be retained based on the 2024 evaluation:
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (District 1)
Stephanie Stacy, 85.28%
Judge of the Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court (Statewide)
Julie Martin, 91.67%
Judge of the District Court
Lori Maret, 34.88%
Ryan Post, 93.75%
Susan Strong, 92.38%
Judge of the Separate Juvenile Court
Elise White, 94.74%
Shellie Sabata, 77.78%
Judge of the County Court
Holly Parsley, 90.41%
Thomas Zimmerman, 89.47%
Figuring out who won any election once voting has concluded essentially boils down to two fundamental questions: how many votes have been cast for each candidate so far and how many ballots still need to be counted?
Here is the Lincoln Journal Star's comprehensive guide to the 2024 Nebraska general election.Ìý
