Judicial Retention
Through retention elections, Kansans have the opportunity to hold Supreme Court justices, Court of Appeals judges, and appointed district court judges accountable for being fair and impartial and for protecting the rights afforded every Kansan under the Constitution. After serving one year on the bench, a justice or judge selected through one of these processes must stand for retention during the next general election. Kansas Supreme Court Justices must then stand for retention every six years, and Court of Appeals and district court judges must do so every four years.
A retention vote asks whether a particular justice or judge should be retained in his or her judicial office (by way of a yes-no vote). If a majority of voters oppose retention, the justice or judge is removed from office.
Elected district court judges serve four-year terms and can run for re-election as long as they remain eligible for the position.
Supreme Court justices and district court judges can no longer submit their names for retention if they are older than 75. Court of Appeals judges may sit for retention until age 70.
2024 Election Retention Survey Results
