NCJ Number
92101
Journal
Judicature Volume: 67 Issue: 5 Dated: (November 1983) Pages: 234-245
Date Published
1983
Length
12 pages
Annotation
An analysis of the relationship between voter knowledge and voting behavior in Oregon and Washington judicial elections indicates that most judicial voters make a valiant attempt at casting an informed ballot, but they want and should receive more information from the candidates.
Abstract
Given the primary concern for the level of informedness of the electorate in judicial elections, an attempt was made to assess the level of knowledge held by voters. The analysis was based on the responses of 687 registered voters in the two States. The 'objective' measures of knowledge were the names of the judicial candidates standing for office in respondents' jurisdiction, knowledge of courts, and the name of the candidate running for the district or circuit benches in the respondents' counties. The 'subjective' measures of knowledge were self-assessed level of information and familiarity with State courts. The judicial voter, at least the observant, inquiring, and attentive voter, appears to try and cast an informed ballot. Although somewhat informed, the voter recognized the need for more information on judicial contenders. The candidates and those who support them, namely the lawyers, appear to have failed to give the voters what they want in the way of information. Further, the data indicate that the more informed voters are more willing than the less informed voters to reject the accountability function in judicial elections and to prefer the compromise function of stewardship, which examines not so much whether a candidate might perfectly reflect one's own views but will act responsibly and conscientiously on the bench. Both the candidates and the electorate must be led toward an acceptance of a balance between public accountability and judicial independence. Data from the survey analysis are provided. Fourteen footnotes are listed.