Become a Judge Through Merit Selection

Judicial district nominating commissions

When a district judge vacancy occurs in a merit-selection district, a judicial district nominating commission announces it is accepting nominations, interviews the nominees, and recommends three to five people to the governor for consideration. The governor then appoints one of these.

When a district magistrate judge vacancy occurs in a merit-selection district, it is filled following the same process. However, instead of recommending nominees to the governor, the commission makes the appointment. 

Judicial district nominating commissions are made up of lawyers and nonlawyers who live in the judicial district. Lawyer members are elected by fellow lawyers in that district, while nonlawyer members are appointed by local county commissions.

Judge vacancies

Vacancies in merit-selection districts

Merit-selection districts

Judicial district nominating commission election results for 2024

Voters in these judicial districts approved selecting judges through a merit-selection process:

• 1st Judicial District (Atchison and Leavenworth counties)

• 2nd Judicial District (Jackson, Jefferson, Pottawatomie, and Wabaunsee counties)

• 3rd Judicial District (Shawnee County)

• 4th Judicial District (Anderson, Coffey, Frankin, and Osage counties)

• 5th Judicial District (Chase and Lyon counties)

• 6th Judicial District (Bourbon, Linn, and Miami counties)

• 7th Judicial District (Douglas County)

• 8th Judicial District (Dickinson, Geary, Marion, and Morris counties)

• 9th Judicial District (Harvey and McPherson counties)

• 10th Judicial District (Johnson County)

• 11th Judicial District (Cherokee, Crawford, and Labette counties)

• 12th Judicial District (Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Republic, and Washington counties)

• 21st Judicial District (Clay and Riley counties)

• 25th Judcial District (Finney, Greeley, Hamilton, Kearny, Scott, and Wichita counties)

• 28th Judicial District (Ottawa and Saline counties)

• 30th Judicial District (Barber, Harper, Kingman, Pratt and Sumner counties)

• 31st Judicial District (Allen, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson counties)

Retention and partisan elections

Judges standing for retention in merit-selection districts, and judges seeking election through partisan ballot, must contact the Kansas Secretary of State to get answers to questions to ensure all filing requirements are met. 

About retention and partisan elections