Did you know that in Arizona voters select and retain judges?

Judges Elected in Partisan Races:

  • Justices of the Peace
  • Superior Court judges in Apache, Cochise, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Mohave, Navajo, Santa Cruz, Yavapai, and Yuma counties.

Voters elect these judges every 4 years.

Judges Selected by a Merit System and Appointed by the Governor:

  • Superior court judges in Coconino, Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal counties. 
  • Supreme Court justices and Court of Appeals judges.

Voters are asked whether to retain these judges every 4 or 6 years.

Gavel Watch

Civic Engagement Beyond Voting created Gavel Watch as a resource for voters who want to learn more about the judges on their ballot that are up for a retention vote. The report contains a vote recommendation and rationale for each judge.

This resource relies on information from publicly available documents and research tools.

NOTE: The authors and researchers of Gavel Watch are not attorneys and have not participated in any cases as plaintiffs or defendants before the listed judges, nor are they participants in any part of the judicial system except as observers.
Gavel Watch 2026 will be available in October 2026.