Process for judicial vacancies outlined

Secretary of State Ross Miller's office has laid out guidelines for how it will handle any election year judicial vacancies in the 2012 cycle.

The interpretation of the law was made necessary by the fact that the filing period for judicial elections closed Jan. 13 and, according to Miller's staff, the statute doesn't completely spell out how to handle potential vacancies.

According to the elections division, if a district judge's office is vacated before April 10, the vacancy will appear on the November General Election ballot with candidates nominated by petitions.

If the vacancy occurs between April 10 and June 22, the vacancy will appear on the General Election ballot and the secretary of state will set up emergency regulations for nomination of candidates.

If the vacancy occurs after June 22, the office won't be on the General Election ballot because that is after the deadline for altering the ballot. In that event, the vacancy would be filled by the governor, who would select from a list of three names chosen by a judicial selection committee. That appointee would have to face election at the next General Election to keep the position.