It’s not too much to ask to keep Alaska’s most functional branch of government running.
It happens every election: You’re in the voting booth filling in ovals, patting yourself on the back for being a knowledgeable and prepared voter. You power through the U.S. House race, as well as the Alaska Senate and House races. You’ve even read up on the ballot measures, so you don’t have to rely on the paragraph of explanatory text to know how to cast your votes there .For many Alaskans, judicial retention elections might as well be the part of an old map that says “Here be dragons.
And judges are still accountable to the people under Alaska’s system, as voters can choose whether to retain judges at the end of each of their terms, which vary in length depending on which court they serve. Even Alaska’s Supreme Court justices are subject to retention elections, a system many people doubtless wish was the case for the federal courts.
The thoughtless attempt to cast out judges is corrosive, too, as it displays a callous lack of faith in Alaska’s judicial branch, which — compared to the state’s legislative and executive branches — is a model of effectiveness. Faith in the judiciary is a cornerstone of our political system, and if that becomes as partisan as the other branches have, it will have severe negative impacts on how well the system operates and the outcomes it gives us.
So take a little time this year and read up on the judges who are up for retention this year, and be sure to fill in your whole ballot. This system works best when we all have skin in the game, and it’s not too much to ask to keep Alaska’s most functional branch of government running.Editorial opinions are by the editorial board, which welcomes responses from readers. Board members are ADN President Ryan Binkley, Publisher Andy Pennington and Opinion Editor Tom Hewitt.
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