Oklahoma Voters Will Decide Whether Nine Appellate Judges Keep Their Seats in November

Oklahoma’s November ballot includes a section plenty of voters skim past: judicial retention. Nine appellate judges are up this year, including four Oklahoma Supreme Court justices. M. John Kane IV, Travis Jett, Dana Kuehn, and Richard Darby are each seeking another six-year term beginning January 2027. Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Robert L. Hudson and Court of Civil Appeals judges Stacie L. Hixon, Jane P. Wiseman, Deborah B. Barnes, and James R. Huber are also on the ballot.

There’s no opponent listed. You simply mark yes or no on each judge, and a majority of yes votes keeps them in office. If a judge falls short, the seat doesn’t go to a special election. The governor appoints a replacement from a list submitted by the Judicial Nominating Commission. That process has been in place since the late 1960s, when a Supreme Court scandal prompted Oklahoma to move away from contested judicial elections.

These down-ballot races rarely draw much attention, which means a relatively small number of ballots can shape the state’s highest courts for years. Early voting runs Oct. 28 through 30 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., plus Saturday, Oct. 31 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Election Day is Nov. 3, with polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Will you be voting on the retention section this fall, or have you been leaving it blank?