So, did people vote yesterday? According to Baer, “The low-profile court contests appeared to draw lower than normal court-race turnout; some experts projected a statewide figure below 20 percent.”  That’s certainly not a show of confidence in the judicial election process.

As Baer notes, Republican candidates did very well, winning at least six of seven appellate court seats. Baer goes on to note the continuing success of women from the Western part of the state.  As of this writing, women are poised to win at least five out of seven seats on the appellate courts, and a woman is in a close race for a sixth seat.

Baer wraps up the column with this important thought: “But the way we put judges on the bench? Who knows what kind of day it was for justice?”  Baer is not alone in worrying that the judicial election system — which seems driven by ballot position, party affiliation, gender and geography — is not the right way to select appellate court judges.  We just hope the people of Pennsylvania are now ready to start talking about a better way.