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Maryland Supreme Court elections, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 16
- Early voting: Oct. 25 - Nov. 1
- Absentee voting deadline: Postmark Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: Only during early voting period
- Voter ID: No ID required generally
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
| 2018 election dates | |
|---|---|
| Deadline to file candidacy | |
| February 27, 2018 | |
| General election | |
| November 6, 2018 | |
The terms of two Maryland Court of Appeals judges expired in December 2018. These judges were required to stand for retention by voters in November 2018 in order to remain on the bench. One judge filed for retention. The Maryland Court of Appeals is the state's highest court.
Candidates and results
General election candidates
- Joseph Getty (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔
About the Maryland Court of Appeals
- See also: Maryland Court of Appeals
The Maryland Court of Appeals is Maryland's highest court. It is composed of seven judges who are appointed by the governor of the state, confirmed by the Maryland State Senate, and must stand for retention by voters thereafter. Retention elections take place during Maryland's general elections, which are held every two years in even-numbered years.
Political composition
This is the political composition of the Maryland Court of Appeals heading into the 2018 election. Judges on the Maryland Court of Appeals are nonpartisan and appointed to their seats. Judges Clayton Greene, Joseph Getty, and Michele D. Hotten were appointed by Republican governors. Judges Mary Ellen Barbera, Sally Adkins, Shirley Marie Watts, and Robert N. McDonald were appointed by Democratic Governor Martin O'Malley.
| ■ Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera | Appointed by Martin O'Malley (D) in 2008 | |
| ■ Sally Adkins | Appointed by Martin O'Malley (D) in 2008 | |
| ■ Joseph Getty | Appointed by Larry Hogan (R) in 2016 | |
| ■ Clayton Greene | Appointed by Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. (R) in 2004 | |
| ■ Michele D. Hotten | Appointed by Larry Hogan (R) in 2015 | |
| ■ Robert N. McDonald | Appointed by Martin O'Malley (D) in 2011 | |
| ■ Shirley Marie Watts | Appointed by Martin O'Malley (D) in 2013 |
Selection
- See also: Judicial selection in Maryland
Judges are appointed to serve 10-year terms by the governor of the state and must be confirmed by the Maryland Senate before taking the bench. At least one year after the vacancy occurred, the appointed judge must stand for retention by voters. In a retention election, voters are asked if a judge should be kept in office for another term; if a majority of the vote is "yes," the judge is retained. If the judge is retained, he or she will serve another 10-year term. Maryland judges must retire upon reaching age 70.[1][2]
Qualifications
Court of Appeals judges must be:
- citizens and qualified voters of Maryland;
- residents of the state for at least five years;
- residents of the appellate judicial circuit to which they are appointed for at least the prior six months;
- at least 30 years of age at the time of appointment;
- admitted to practice law in Maryland; and
- "most distinguished for integrity, wisdom and sound legal knowledge."[3]
Chief judge
The chief judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals is selected by the governor and serves as the administrative head of the state's judicial system, according to the Maryland Constitution.[1][4]
State profile
| Demographic data for Maryland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Maryland | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 5,994,983 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 9,707 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 57.6% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 29.5% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 6% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 3% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 9% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 89.4% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 37.9% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $74,551 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 10.7% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Maryland. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Maryland
Maryland voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
More Maryland coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Maryland
- United States congressional delegations from Maryland
- Public policy in Maryland
- Endorsers in Maryland
- Maryland fact checks
- More...
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
There are no Pivot Counties in Maryland. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won Maryland with 60.3 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 33.9 percent. In presidential elections between 1789 and 2016, Maryland voted Democratic 52 percent of the time and Republican 21 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Maryland voted Democratic all five times.[5]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Maryland court elections' OR 'Maryland Supreme Court 2016' OR 'Maryland Supreme Court election'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Court of Appeals, "Origin and Functions"
- ↑ Maryland Manual, "Constitution of Maryland, Article IV, Judiciary Department, Sections 3 and 5," accessed April 21, 2015
- ↑ Maryland Manual, "Constitution of Maryland, Article IV, Judiciary Department, Section 2," accessed April 21, 2015
- ↑ Maryland Manual, "Constitution of Maryland, Article IV, Judiciary Department, Section 14," accessed April 21, 2015
- ↑ 270towin.com, "Maryland," accessed June 22, 2017
Federal courts:
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Maryland • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Maryland
State courts:
Maryland Supreme Court • Appellate Court of Maryland • Maryland District Courts • Maryland Circuit Courts • Maryland Orphans' Court
State resources:
Courts in Maryland • Maryland judicial elections • Judicial selection in Maryland
