PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) \u2014 As Election Day, Nov. 4, grows closer, one race in Pennsylvania will decide the fate of the Supreme Court moving forward, and possibly the 2028 presidential race.<\/p>\n
While there are numerous issues on the ballot across both the Commonwealth and the United States come Election Day, one race voters throughout Pennsylvania will see on their ballots will be retention for three seats in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.<\/p>\n
Who is on the ballot?<\/p>\n
Voters will decide whether three justices, all Democrats, should keep their seats on the court. Notably, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has been at the center of many issues surrounding voting rights, redistricting and elections \u2013 along with hearing issues surrounding human rights and abortions.<\/p>\n
The three justices, Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht, are all backed by the Democratic party in their bids for retention, with terms lasting 10 years. If all three lose, their seats would be vacant come January. The court would become deadlocked with a 2-2 partisan split until the seats are filled in 2027.<\/p>\n
Long term, that could mean that the court might be unable to settle cases through the 2026 midterm elections, with the governor\u2019s office and congressional seats also appearing on the ballot.<\/p>\n
The ballot will have a simple \u201cyes\u201d or \u201cno\u201d box for voters to check in relation to the justices maintaining retention of their seats. While the specific election may feel a bit under-the-radar, Democrats have begun to worry as late-emerging Republican campaigns are now geared towards removing the justices.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a full campaign,\u201d state Democratic Party Chairman Eugene DePasquale said<\/a>. \u201cThe bigger challenge on that isn\u2019t so much getting people to vote \u2018yes.\u2019 It\u2019s just even getting some people to understand what a retention vote is, because this is really the first time it\u2019s ever been heavily contested.\u201d<\/p>\n