Arizona Constitution Practice Test

Who elects the Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court?

1. The Governor

2. The justices of the Supreme Court

3. The legislature

4. The qualified electors

The correct answer is: The qualified electors

The Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court is elected by the qualified electors of Arizona. This process reflects the democratic principle that the judiciary should ultimately be accountable to the public. In Arizona, justices are initially appointed to the Supreme Court, but they must then stand for election in order to retain their positions, including the role of Chief Justice. This system aims to balance judicial independence with public accountability, as the people have the power to vote for justices who align with their values and expectations. While the Governor does appoint justices initially, those appointments are ultimately followed by retention elections where the electorate has a say in whether to keep the justices on the bench. The justices of the Supreme Court do not elect the Chief Justice; instead, the Chief Justice is typically selected from among the elected justices through an internal vote, but this process does not involve direct voting by the public. The legislature does not have a role in this process either, reinforcing the autonomy of the judicial branch.