With control of the Michigan Supreme Court on the line, 4 candidates vie for 2 seats
With four candidates on the ballot for the Michigan Supreme Court, nothing less than control of the chamber is on the line.
Although races for the state’s highest court appear on the nonpartisan ballot — and are not included in straight-ticket voting — the Democratic and Republican parties nominate candidates at their respective conventions in August. And in recent years, the Michigan Supreme Court has had to make key decisions on issues with big partisan divides, such as minimum wage, the governor’s powers during emergencies like the pandemic and whether the 2022 abortion rights constitutional amendment would appear on the ballot.
Michigan is the only state that uses this method, which it has employed since 1908, and which has been criticized as a “non-partisan-in-name-only process.” Despite several attempts through the years to change it, the process remains intact.
The Michigan Constitution requires that Supreme Court candidates be “qualified electors, licensed to practice law in Michigan, and, at the time of election, must be under 70 years of age.”
https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/control-michigan-supreme-court-line-4-candidates-vie-2-seats