Helping Alaskans make informed decisions about Alaska’s courts, judges, and judicial elections.

How should I vote on a particular judge?

Most Alaskans do not appear in court frequently or see how judges perform their duties. But all judges are subject to a thorough performance review by the people who appear before them:

• Attorneys.

• Police and probation officers.

• Social Services Professionals.

• Jurors.

• Court employees.

The results of the surveys are available to the public for inspection.

Voters can see how the people that actually appeared before a particular judge evaluated that judge’s performance and their:

1. Legal ability—Do they know of the law, court procedure, and the rules of evidence?

2. Impartiality and fairness—Do they treat everyone with respect, are fair, and impartial?

3. Integrity—Do they make decisions based on the law and constitution rather than politics or possible public criticism?

4. Judicial Temperament—Do they demonstrate courtesy, human understanding and compassion?

5. Diligence and Administrative skill—Is the judge prepared for proceedings? Do they work efficiently and make decisions promptly?

You can learn more about this process here.

The results of these surveys also included in the election pamphlet mailed to all registered voters.

Find judges appearing on your ballot here.

How are Alaska judges selected?

Alaska employs a multi-step and non-political process designed to ensure the highest quality judges and limit the impact of partisan politics in the selection process.

• Any lawyer wishing to become a judge must have sufficient legal experience and training.

• The lawyer submits their name to the Alaska Judicial Council (AJC);

• The AJC performs a comprehensive evaluation of each applicant:

First, the AJC surveys all Alaskan lawyers about the qualifications and suitability of each applicant.

Second, the AJC contacts an applicant’s former and present employers, and sends questionnaires to judges and lawyers involved in cases handled by the applicant in the past.

Finally, the AJC holds a public hearing and seeks comments and opinions from all Alaskan citizens.

The Alaska Judicial Council then carefully identifies the highest-qualified applicants and sends those names to the Governor, who selects one of the applicants.

Why does Alaska follow this process?

Alaska’s system of judicial selection was designed by the framers of Alaska’s Constitution as a merit-based system.

In some states, the selection of judges is a purely political process where voters choose candidates based on their political affiliation rather than on their knowledge, experience, legal ability, or temperament.

The Alaska Constitution seeks to eliminate partisan politics and ensure the highest quality judges are selected while providing transparency of the entire process.

Do any other states use this system?

Yes! 38 other states use some variation of the merit-based selection process used in Alaska—making it the most common system of selecting high quality judges throughout the United States.

What is the Alaska Judicial Council?

The Alaska Judicial Council is a non-partisan citizen committee made up of seven Alaskans:

• Dave Parker of Wasilla. A retired Anchorage police officer who served 17 years as a detective. Mr. Parker was appointed to the Council in 2013 by Governor Sean Parnell and was reappointed in 2019 by Governor Mike Dunleavy.

• Kristie Babcock of Soldotna. She owns an insurance and financial services agency. Mrs. Babcock has lived in Alaska over 50 years, and previously served as Director of Boards and Commissions for Governors Walter Hickel and Frank Murkowski. She was appointed by Governor Mike Dunleavy.

• Dennis DeWitt of Juneau. He was appointed to the Council in 2023 by Governor Mike Dunleavy.

• Jonathon Katcher is an attorney member from Anchorage.

• Steven Hansen is an attorney member from Fairbanks.

• Patricia A. Collins is an attorney member from Juneau.

• Peter Maassen, Chief Justice of the Alaska Supreme Court, appointed by Gov. Sean Parnell.

Learn More:

• “Why Alaska judges are appointed, but still run for retention in elections” - Alaska Public Media

• “Finish the ballot” -Juneau Empire

• “Cast an informed vote for Alaska’s Judges” -ADN

• “Finish your ballot by voting on the judges” - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

• “In Support of Alaska’s Independent Judiciary” - Opinion by Chuck Kopp (R)