§ 7-10-102 - Nonpartisan election of judges and justices.
7-10-102. Nonpartisan election of judges and justices.
(a) The offices of Justice of the Supreme Court, Judge of the Court of Appeals, circuit judge, and district judge are declared to be nonpartisan offices.
(b) (1) The general elections for nonpartisan judicial offices shall be held on the same dates and at the same times and places as provided by law for preferential primary elections.
(2) The names of candidates for nonpartisan judicial offices shall be included on the ballots of the political parties and shall be designated as nonpartisan judicial candidates. However, separate ballots containing the names of nonpartisan judicial candidates shall be prepared and shall be made available to voters requesting the same.
(3) No voter shall be required to vote in a political party's preferential primary in order to be able to vote in nonpartisan judicial elections.
(c) (1) A person shall not be elected to a nonpartisan judicial office without receiving a majority of the votes cast at the election for the office.
(2) In any nonpartisan judicial election in which no person receives a majority of the votes cast, the two (2) candidates receiving the highest and next highest number of votes shall be certified to a runoff election which shall be held on the same date and at the same times and places as the November general election.
(3) The names of the candidates in a nonpartisan judicial runoff election shall be placed on the same ballots as used for the November general elections.