This November, voters across the country will cast ballots in state supreme court races that could shape their states long after Election Day. Although these elections often receive little public attention, state supreme court justices make final decisions on many of the issues that affect people’s daily lives.
State supreme courts interpret state constitutions and make final decisions on issues ranging from voting rights and reproductive freedom to education funding, environmental protections, criminal justice, and redistricting. Nearly 95% of all legal cases are handled in state courts, these judges shape many of the rights and protections that affect Americans. State constitutions can also provide broader protections than the US Constitution, making state supreme courts the final guardians of many individual rights.
The importance of these courts has grown since the US Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which ended the federal constitutional right to abortion and returned authority over abortion policy to the states.
Pennsylvania provides one example of how state courts can shape reproductive rights. Although abortion in the state remained legal after Dobbs, a decades-old law prevented Medicaid from covering most abortion services except in cases of rape, incest, or life endangerment. As a result, many low-income women had to pay for abortion care out of pocket, despite Medicaid covering other pregnancy-related services.
In 2026, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court struck down the Medicaid funding ban, ruling that it violated the Pennsylvania Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and the state’s Equal Protection Clause. This decision highlights how judicial interpretation of state constitutions can significantly expand or limit individual rights, even when the constitutional language itself has not changed.
At the same time, state supreme court elections have become increasingly politicized. In the 38 states that elect at least some of their justices, campaigns now often cost millions of dollars. As political spending increases, this contradicts judicial independence and public confidence in the courts’ impartiality.
North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls has spoken about the growing importance of state judicial races. Before joining the court in 2018, Earls was a civil rights lawyer highly experienced in fighting for justice. She started the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, where she worked on voting rights, environmental justice, and criminal justice reform. On the court, Earls has challenged partisan gerrymandering, opposed voter suppression measures following the weakening of the Voting Rights Act, and advocated for educational equity through her judicial opinions and dissents.
State supreme court justices often serve for years, making decisions that shape issues such as voting rights, reproductive freedom, and education long after an election has ended. Justice Earls will be on the ballot this November as she seeks reelection to the North Carolina Supreme Court.
Despite the influence state supreme courts have over issues that shape everyday life, judicial elections often receive far less attention than races for governor or state legislature. Yet the judges elected today may influence state law for decades. Understanding candidates’ experience, qualifications, and judicial philosophy helps voters make informed decisions about offices that play a critical role in protecting constitutional rights.