Poll shows judicial retention in a dead heat

A Court Room

A recent poll by Selzer and Co shows that the race for judicial retention is in a dead heat. 44 percent of those surveyed said that they would vote yes for retention, while 40 percent said that they would vote no. 16 percent said that they would vote yes for some justices. The poll was conducted from September 19-22 and has a margin of error of 4.2 percent. In order for a justice to be retained, they need a simple yes majority vote.

Many poll analysts have called these numbers “stunning” citing the fact that no Iowa justice has ever been removed from from office as a result of a retention vote. In many years, judges win retention with a large margin of the vote, usually with at least 75% of those voting. In recent weeks, former GOP governor candidate Bob Vander Plaats has launched a campaign to avoid retention of the justices this year. The group, Iowa for Freedom, has been running ads on against judges informing the voters to vote no towards their retention.

Along with Iowa for Freedom, several other groups have launched efforts to promote the Iowa Merit System. These campaigns do not specifically tell voters to vote yes towards retention. Chief Justice Marsha Ternus has stated that she will not campaign towards her retention but has warned that judges who are under political pressure may not act fair and impartial.

The retention measure will appear on your ballots on November 2.