Ask any random group of people on the street what they think of the judges running in the November election, and chances are good you’ll get the same answer, “I know nothing about them.”
The Voter Information Guide gives the names of the justices, and where they went to school; if voters want to know more, two websites are given. I went to courts.ca.gov and found colleagues praising the justices at confirmation hearings with lists of positive traits: respectful, firm, warm, kind, friendly, popular, tireless, brilliant — but nothing substantive in terms of the justices’ ruling history or what values guide their decision-making on the bench.
When voters come to the judicial part of the ballot, it’s no surprise that so many of us vote arbitrarily “yes” or “no” — or skip that part of the ballot entirely — for justices to need confirmation from people who know nothing about them makes no sense.
Is there a reason why the Voter Information Guide can’t give voters more information about the judges?
