How does the Missouri Plan select judges?

The Missouri Plan is a merit-based system for selecting judges designed to balance democratic accountability with judicial independence by de-emphasizing partisan politics.12

The selection process follows these steps:

• Nomination: A nonpartisan judicial commission screens candidates and submits a limited list of qualified individuals to the appointing authority, typically the governor.123
• Appointment: The governor must select a judge from the list provided by the commission.123
• Probationary Period: The appointed judge serves for a limited time before facing a retention ballot.12
• Retention: After the probationary period, the judge stands for a nonpartisan "retention election" for a longer term. The judge does not compete against other candidates; instead, voters decide whether the judge should be retained based on their record.12

While this method aims to reduce political influence, it is important to note that in practice, political considerations can still play a role in the selection of commission members and the governor's final appointment.3