Election of Circuit Court Judges, General District Court Judges, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Judges.

This constitutional amendment proposes a significant shift in how Virginia’s judges are selected. Currently, judges for the Circuit, General District, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations courts are elected by a majority vote of the General Assembly. If passed, this measure would change the selection process to require a two-thirds supermajority vote from both the House of Delegates and the Senate to confirm judicial appointments. By increasing the threshold for confirmation, the amendment aims to encourage bipartisan cooperation and force lawmakers to seek broader consensus when appointing individuals to the bench. For Arlington residents, this could lead to more moderate judicial appointments, potentially reducing political polarization in the local court system and ensuring that judges possess wider support across the ideological spectrum.