HCR 2037 Summary

• Proposes constitutional amendments to replace the merit selection and retention system for superior court judges with direct election by voters in counties with populations of 800,000 or more, while maintaining merit selection in smaller counties.

• Establishes judicial districts in large counties with equal populations based on supervisorial districts, with judges serving six-year terms and elected to separate divisional offices.

• Modifies the commission on appellate court appointments to eliminate the separate commission on trial court appointments, streamlining the judicial appointment process for appellate courts only.

• Extends clean elections campaign financing laws to superior court judge candidates, including spending limits and public funding provisions funded by criminal fines.

• Makes numerous statutory amendments to election procedures, ballot forms, nomination petition requirements, and campaign finance reporting to accommodate judicial candidate elections under the new system.