Order in the courts

Endorsements in the 2020 judicial election

It’s not quite as exclusive an experience as happens ever four years in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, but Arkansans today will finally get their opportunity to act after weeks and months of political messaging by candidates and the parties.

Early voting for the March 3 primary opens today and will continue at various locations until March 2, the day before the state’s preferential primary and its judicial and school elections. Local residents who registered to vote by Feb. 3 are eligible to cast their ballot in this first round of the 2020 election season.

In other words, the time has come to put your vote where your mouth has been.

Notice the description of the election: preferential primary, the state’s judicial elections and local school board elections. Although all ballots are cast at whatever voting center a voter chooses, technically speaking there are three kinds of elections today. The primaries will pick the Republican and Democratic nominees who will move on to a place on the Nov. 3 General Election. But in the judicial and school board races, voters will indeed make final decisions in March as to who will take office.

Today, we offer our endorsements in three contested judicial races — one in Benton County, the other two affecting judgeships in the judicial district covering Washington and Madison counties. Circuit judges, once elected, serve for six years before having to seek reelection.