No matter where you live in the Kansas City metro area, you will see a long list of judges at the end of your ballot.

Those so-called “retention elections” are a simple yes-or-no question: Should each judge keep their job for another term?

But unless you’re a lawyer spending hours in a courtroom, it’s a tough question to answer.

Here’s a guide to your 2026 judge retention questions in Missouri.

Click on a link to jump to a question:

• What are the differences between the kinds of judges on the ballot?
• What does a “yes” vote do?
• What does a “no” vote do?
• Why don’t any of the judges have opponents?
• Are the judges Democrats or Republicans?
• How should I know whether to retain the judges?

What are the differences between the kinds of judges on the ballot?

Voters will see retention questions for three different categories of judges on your November ballot.

That includes one state Supreme Court judge, one Western District Court of Appeals judge and a handful of circuit court judges.

The Missouri Supreme Court is made up of seven judges, who are appointed by the governor from a list of nominees selected by the judicial nominating commission.

The Court of Appeals is an intermediate court, sandwiched between the local circuit court and the state Supreme Court. There are three appeals courts for the entire state, and Kansas City is in the Western District. That court is made up of 11 members, appointed under that same process.

The circuit courts are local, and their judges are appointed by the governor in Jackson, Clay and Platte counties. In most other counties, they’re elected directly by voters.

What does a ‘yes’ vote do?

A “yes” vote means that you approve of that judge or justice keeping — or “retaining” — their seat for another term.

Judges at the state Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals serve for 12-year terms.

Judges must earn a simple majority at their retention election.

What does a ‘no’ vote do?

If judges or justices fail to win a majority, they will be removed from the court once their term expires on Dec. 31. 

In their place, the governor of Missouri would need to nominate a replacement.

After one year, the new judge would face a retention election in order to serve a full term.

Why don’t any of the judges have opponents?

Kansas and Missouri are both “assisted appointment” states when it comes to their supreme courts, unlike other states like Wisconsin or Texas that have high-profile partisan supreme court elections every few years.

Instead of asking voters to choose between two candidates, the states essentially ask voters to approve the governor’s choice after one year on the court.

It’s a system that originated in Missouri in the 1940s but has since been imitated by 19 other states, including Kansas.

In the early 20th century, there was an ugly Missouri Supreme Court election between two candidates, one of whom was backed by infamous Kansas City political boss Tom Pendergast.

In response to those hyperpartisan political battles, legal scholars created the new system and got it approved by voters as an initiative petition.

The idea is that a judge needs to be qualified and knowledgeable about constitutional law because they’re setting judicial precedent. 

So whenever there’s a vacancy on the Missouri Supreme Court, the governor is provided with a list of names to choose from. That list is prepared by a seven-member commission made up of three lawyers and three nonlawyers appointed by the governor, as well as the sitting chief justice.

Then the governor picks one nominee from that list and appoints them to a one-year term.

After that year, voters get to decide whether that Supreme Court judge gets to serve a full 12-year term.

Are the judges Democrats or Republicans?

At least officially, they’re nonpartisan.

Typically, judges are private about their political affiliation to maintain their appearance of neutrality. They tend not to make political donations, and many refrain from registering with a party.

The two higher-court judges on the ballot this year in Missouri are Supreme Court Judge Paul C. Wilson and Western District Judge Lisa White Hardwick.

Wilson was appointed to his position by former Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon in 2012. Hardwick was appointed in 2001 by former Democratic Gov. Bob Holden.

Both Wilson and Hardwick were selected by Democratic governors, but they were chosen from lists of nominees prepared by a nonpartisan nominating commission.

How should I know whether to retain the judges?

The Missouri Bar Association publishes a performance review for every judge on the ballot.

It’s based on a survey completed by lawyers in Missouri.

They evaluate each judge based on their professional conduct, qualifications and performance.

If you’re in a rush, the Missouri Bar recommends retaining every judge on this year’s ballot in Jackson, Clay and Platte counties.