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Why Judges Matter

Use this interactive tool to discover how the judges you elect have a direct impact on the issues that matter most to you, including abortion, civil liberties, and education.

On Nov. 7, Pennsylvania voters will be asked to pick new judges to sit on state Supreme, Superior, and Commonwealth Courts.

These three appellate courts hold a tremendous amount of power and make decisions that can directly affect the lives of people in the commonwealth — yet many don’t know much about them.

Judges on these courts are elected in statewide, partisan elections that often don’t have high turnout. Once on the court, judges often stay there for decades — interpreting state laws, striking them down completely, and determining guilt and punishments.

To illustrate how decisions from Pennsylvania’s appellate courts impact residents, we collected some of the most relevant and important cases across a range of issues to showcase what the court receives and how it makes its decisions on everything from paid sick leave to legislative districts to gun control.

Abortion

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Civil Liberties

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Clergy Abuse

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COVID-19

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Criminal Appeals

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Death Penalty

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Elections

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Environment

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Gun Rights

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Paid Sick Leave

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Redistricting

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Schools

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Select a topic to see the impact of the courts:

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