voting question

[van7559]

I have a mail in ballot, and am not sure who to vote for on a few things. Is it acceptable to leave certain questions and issues blank with no response? Or will this make my ballot void??

[bogie]

You'd (we'd) be better off looking up those issues and making an informed choice.

[HoneyBadger]

I had to do quite a bit of research on most of the judges and the University regents for my ballot, but almost all of the judges got retained.

[TEAMRICO]

I had to do quite a bit of research on most of the judges and the University regents for my ballot, but almost all of the judges got retained.

This^

Just a quick google of them.
Not alot of work to put in cuz I was focusing on the major choices.

[gos]

You may choose to vote in as many or as few races as you choose. If your only vote is to remove a judge, that is a legitimate ballot. (It's probably legitimate to send in a blank ballot too)

[brutal]

Start by reading the blue pamphlet. Google the judges and look them up on judgepedia (http://judgepedia.org/index.php/Main_Page). IMHO, there are several that really should be booted if possible. Google the issues if you're having a hard time deciding, just remember much of the media is liberal and so shall there opines be.

[spqrzilla]

I always vote to remove judges.

But then, since I want to be a judge, I got to create as many openings as possible [Coffee]

[van7559]

Haha that is good shit there

[HoneyBadger]

I always vote to remove judges.



That's not a bad policy. I honestly think that no elected official should be able to serve more than 1 term consecutively.

[roberth]

I always vote to remove judges.

But then, since I want to be a judge, I got to create as many openings as possible [Coffee]

I like it. [LOL][Muaha]

[mbl]

For the judges I referred to knowyourjudge.com (http://www.knowyourjudge.com/) . I look at the Retention Survey Report and particularly pay attention to the criteria that I think are important for a judge. Typically if the judge ranks lower the than the average on these items, I will vote to remove.

This site reports recommended to keep all the judges that I could vote on, but based on my criteria, I voted to remove a few.

For me the judges take the most time and effort to make what I think is an informed decision.

[Atrain1]

You may choose to vote in as many or as few races as you choose. If your only vote is to remove a judge, that is a legitimate ballot. (It's probably legitimate to send in a blank ballot too)This is not correct I believe it has to be completely filled out. If you were being sarcastic I apologize for correcting this.

[ChunkyMonkey]

So anyone has any info on the judges? I am too lazy to google them all.

[gos]

This is not correct I believe it has to be completely filled out. If you were being sarcastic I apologize for correcting this.

That's insane. You're arguing that if someone doesn't fill in one of the judge removal ones, their vote for president doesn't count?

Explain how the vote totals in each race don't exactly match then.

[Fmedges]

This is not correct I believe it has to be completely filled out. If you were being sarcastic I apologize for correcting this.

lies

[spqrzilla]

The ballot need not be fully filled out.

[brutal]

For the judges I referred to knowyourjudge.com (http://www.knowyourjudge.com/) . I look at the Retention Survey Report and particularly pay attention to the criteria that I think are important for a judge. Typically if the judge ranks lower the than the average on these items, I will vote to remove.

This site reports recommended to keep all the judges that I could vote on, but based on my criteria, I voted to remove a few.

For me the judges take the most time and effort to make what I think is an informed decision.

Lower than average recommended retention or one single nay vote from the panel and I vote for them to be ousted. I know appointments are by panel and it's supposed to be bipartisan in Colorado, but I look more closely at any judge recommended in by any Dem.

[van7559]

I did my civic duties to our country today! Now I hope only rational Americans do the same!

[Atrain1]

That's insane. You're arguing that if someone doesn't fill in one of the judge removal ones, their vote for president doesn't count?

Explain how the vote totals in each race don't exactly match then.I am just going off of what mine said in the instructions, which stated that it all had to be filled out or it would not count.

[spqrzilla]

It was refering to the affidavit on a mail in ballot. Not to the individual races or initiative questions.

[Atrain1]

It was refering to the affidavit on a mail in ballot. Not to the individual races or initiative questions.I mailed mine in and as far as I remember it stated that I had to complete it. I am not sure about this and stated that in my first post, which is why I said I believe. I could be wrong but I did complete it just to be safe.

[Aloha_Shooter]

(My emphasis added below)


Lower than average recommended retention or one single nay vote from the panel and I vote for them to be ousted. I know appointments are by panel and it's supposed to be bipartisan in Colorado, but I look more closely at any judge recommended in by any Dem.

You're placing a lot of faith in that commission if that's how you do your rankings. After reviewing all the judges and their reviews, it looked to me like the commission recommends retaining any judge that doesn't receive a lot of complaints from lawyers. I would have liked more detail on their rulings and less about whether they were nice in court. Frankly, that's not my top criterion for retaining a judge.

[brutal]

Lower than average recommended retention or one single nay vote from the panel and I vote for them to be ousted. I know appointments are by panel and it's supposed to be bipartisan in Colorado, but I look more closely at any judge recommended in by any Dem.


(My emphasis added below)



You're placing a lot of faith in that commission if that's how you do your rankings. After reviewing all the judges and their reviews, it looked to me like the commission recommends retaining any judge that doesn't receive a lot of complaints from lawyers. I would have liked more detail on their rulings and less about whether they were nice in court. Frankly, that's not my top criterion for retaining a judge.

What I meant to say was Lower than average recommended retention by attorneys responding to the survey or one single nay vote from the panel and I vote for them to be ousted.

There are other factors, including reading the full reviews, that go into my decision. More than I cared to post at the time. There was at least one judge that had very unfavorable reviews.

[centrarchidae]

So anyone has any info on the judges? I am too lazy to google them all.

I leaned heavily on http://www.clearthebenchcolorado.org/evaluations-2012/ for mine, at least for the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals.

Basically, I look at two things with appellate judges: guns and TABOR. (And whether they just follow the damn law in general instead of trying to make the law).

With the county and district judges, the best I can think of is to google them and see who's bitching about them and why.

I don't bother with the Blue Book. It's all boilerplate with nothing terribly useful.

One other thing to remember about the judges: If one is not retained, his replacement will be appointed by the sitting governor. That's Howdy Doody Hickenloser for at least another two years. Just like Antonin Scalia is likely to retire from SCOTUS in the next four years, and who would you like to appoint his replacement?

[CO Hugh]

For the judges I referred to knowyourjudge.com (http://www.knowyourjudge.com/) . I look at the Retention Survey Report and particularly pay attention to the criteria that I think are important for a judge. Typically if the judge ranks lower the than the average on these items, I will vote to remove.

This site reports recommended to keep all the judges that I could vote on, but based on my criteria, I voted to remove a few.

For me the judges take the most time and effort to make what I think is an informed decision.

The judicial commission and knowyourjudge are shills for the Bar Association. Feckless is a total understatement when it comes to judges.

I have had friends serve on the performance commissions and work for real evaluations, to no avail. I don't think the system can be reformed.

The only reason the knowyourjudge site came out is due to Clearthebench.org. Thanks to Matt Arnold for all his hard work.

Keep in mind that probably since this system of retaining started, and definitely for more than 20 years, no judge has not been retained because they did not follow the constitution, or ruled against liberty or the law. Judges are not retained because they cannot move their cases, or horror of horrors they are rude to litigants. As long as you say pretty please to people you can be a damn socialist judge.

I want judges that follow the law, and manage their cases so we can try them and get out without spending a bunch of time and money listening to an oprah show.

Generally, my recommendation is do not retain unless you have specific information that weighs in favor of retaining a judge. Also checkclearthebench. Also keep in mind that many of the comments from parties are from the losers, particularly in hotly contested family law cases. It is difficult to impossible to find constructive comments on the judges from more objective perspectives or even losing parties in business type cases.

[Sharpienads]

To the original question in the OP:

Q12. Will my ballot be counted if I don't vote every race on it? What if I leave some races blank?
A12. You do not have to vote on every race unless you choose to do so. Some electors only cast a vote for President while others may vote for every race. Whatever races you do choose to vote on will be counted.

http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/FAQs/ElectionDay.html


So no, you do not have to vote on every race.

ETA: It can be a PITA, but like someone else stated, take the time to do your research on each race. It is too important not to. Just my $0.02.