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Just one out of every 10 Floridians knows about merit retention.

Merit retention is the process which allows voters to decide whether or not a judge should stay on the bench. Florida judges face a retention vote every six years. The Florida Bar is trying to raise awareness about merit retention before the November Election. Bar President Scott Hawkins says voters need to understand retention so they’re not duped by efforts to unjustly unseat judges.

“A judge is not permitted by the cannons of judicial ethics to enunciate their policy views. They can’t explain how they’ve ruled in the past or how they might rule in the future,” said Hawkins.

Since Florida adopted merit retention 40 years ago no judge has ever been voted off the bench. Efforts are now underway to unseat three state Supreme Court justices, who helped kick a constitutional amendment on health care off the ballot.