Don't know who to vote for when it comes to judges? You are not the only one
MIAMI - Would you know who to vote for when it comes to judges on the ballot? You are not the only one. Here's what experts say you should do to make an informed decision.
Florida's Primary election is August 20th and there are 11 judicial races on the ballot in Miami-Dade and Broward.
"That's a big problem. Certainly one wants to vote for individuals who have the knowledge and the temperament to do the job," said Geoffrey Cohen. He was on the bench in Broward for 34 years. He suggests voters start out by looking at recommendations from organizations they trust or newspaper endorsements.
"There are many organizations locally that interview and endorse judges, the police unions, the FOP, the PBA, IUPA, the firefighters and paramedics, the realtors, the Farm Bureau, Hispanic vote," he said.
Alfredo Olvera is President of the LGBTQ Dolphin Democrats.
"It's very difficult for a regular voter to get informed about who which judge to vote for," Olvera said.
To find candidates whose values align with yours, Olvera says voters should do some homework.
"Google these names, make sure that you do the research, make sure that you belong to groups like the NAACP League of Women Voters, they're constantly doing forums with these candidates, and they are going in deep into the records and asking the right questions," he said.
Debbie Wuthnow is head of the Christian-based group IVoterGuide.
"It's more important to look at what they've done, than what they say they're going to do," she said.
She suggests checking campaign finance data, the candidate's social media and more.
"We look at the types of organizations that they support as citizens, as well as who has supported their campaign, because that can be revealing as to where their values are," Wuthnow said.
Advocates suggest voters get a copy of the ballot before voting. That way if they don't know who some of the candidates are they have time to do their own homework so they can make an informed decision.
Click here to see a sample ballot from Broward County and click here to see a Miami-Dade sample ballot.