Alabama judicial elections
Judges in Alabama are elected in partisan elections held in even-numbered years. Judges must run for re-election in partisan elections for subsequent terms.[1][2]
Alabama is one of 11 states that uses partisan elections to select judges and does not use retention elections for subsequent terms. To read more about how states use judicial elections to select judges across the country, click here.
| Supreme Court | Courts of Appeal | Circuit Court | District Court | Probate Court |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partisan elections - Six-year terms | Partisan elections - Six-year terms | Partisan elections - Six-year terms | Partisan elections - Six-year terms | Partisan elections - Six-year terms |
Elections
- Alabama Supreme Court elections, 2024
- Alabama intermediate appellate court elections, 2024
- Alabama Supreme Court elections, 2022
- Alabama Supreme Court elections, 2020
- Alabama intermediate appellate court elections, 2020
- Alabama Supreme Court elections, 2018
- Alabama intermediate appellate court elections, 2018
- Alabama local trial court judicial elections, 2018
- Alabama judicial elections, 2016
- Alabama judicial elections, 2014
- Alabama judicial elections, 2012
- Alabama judicial elections, 2010
- Alabama Supreme Court elections, 2002-2010
Election rules
Primary election
Candidates for judge or justice who wish to run on a party ticket must qualify to run in an open primary by obtaining the legally required number of signatures to get on the ballot.[3] Primary elections in years without a presidential primary are held on the first Tuesday in June.[4] Candidates can only qualify for one party. The winners from each party proceed to a general election in November.
If no candidate in a race wins more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff determines who will advance to the general election. The top two vote recipients in the primary advance to the runoff. Primary runoffs are held six weeks after the primary election.[2][5]
If a candidate qualifies on a party ticket and is unopposed, their name is not placed on the primary ticket, but instead is placed automatically on the general election ballot.[6] Political parties can make rules restricting who participates in primaries, and residents can only vote in a single party's primary.[7]
General election
Alabama general elections are held on the first Tuesday in November of every even-numbered year. If a victory margin is within 0.5 percent, an automatic recount will take place unless the defeated candidate waives his or her right to the recount.[8]
Campaign conduct
According to Alabama's Canon of Judicial Ethics, a candidate shall not:
- Make any promise of conduct in office other than to faithfully fulfill their duties.
- Announce in advance their conclusions or rulings.
- Knowingly misrepresent their identity, fabricate qualifications, or slander their opponents.[9]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Alabama Unified Judicial System, "Appellate Courts," accessed April 28, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Alabama Election Code, "§17-14-6," accessed April 28, 2014
- ↑ Fairvote.org, "Congressional and Presidential Primaries: Open, Closed, Semi-Closed, and 'Top Two,'" accessed April 29, 2014
- ↑ The Code of Alabama, "§17-13-3," accessed September 20, 2017
- ↑ The Code of Alabama, "§17-13-3," accessed September 24, 2017
- ↑ Alabama Election Code, "§17-13-5(c)," accessed April 29, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Election Code, "§17-13-7," accessed April 29, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Election Code, "§17-16-20," accessed April 29, 2014
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Judicial Campaigns and Elections: Alabama," archived October 2, 2014
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Federal courts:
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Alabama, Middle District of Alabama, Southern District of Alabama • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Alabama, Middle District of Alabama, Southern District of Alabama
State courts:
Alabama Supreme Court • Alabama Court of Civil Appeals • Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals • Alabama Circuit Courts • Alabama District Courts • Alabama Juvenile Courts • Alabama Municipal Courts • Alabama Probate Courts • Alabama Small Claims Courts
State resources:
Courts in Alabama • Alabama judicial elections • Judicial selection in Alabama
