Voters would elect Kansas Supreme Court justices under proposed change
TOPEKA — Kansas Senators advanced a constitutional amendment Wednesday that would change how state supreme court justices are selected.
The amendment, which requires approval from two thirds of the Legislature and more than 50% of voters, would convert Kansas’ method for selecting state supreme court justices from a merit-based system to an elections system.
Most Senate Democrats opposed the change saying it was equivalent to “hanging a for sale sign” on the state supreme courthouse. Republicans said the change gives a voice to the people.
Under the current merit-based system, a nine-member judicial nominating commission that consists of five attorneys and four laypeople creates a list of potential appointees, and the sitting governor selects a justice from that list. Kansas Supreme Court justices serve six-year terms, but only if they are retained by voters. Appointed justices undergo a retention vote in a general election once they’ve served for a year and subsequently every six years.
https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/05/voters-would-elect-kansas-supreme-court-justices-under-proposed-change/