On this page
Judicial Elections
How Judges Are Chosen in Massachusetts
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court justices are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Governor’s Council, and serve until the mandatory retirement age.
Rules as of October 15, 2026 · source Ballotpedia
Are judges elected in Massachusetts?
- Highest court
- Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court — 7 justices
- How chosen
- Governor appoints
- Voters
- Voters have no direct say
- Term
- No fixed term
- To serve again
- Serve to age limit or for life
- 2026 ballot
- No Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court seats in 2026
How Massachusetts chooses its judges
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court justices are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Governor’s Council, and serve until the mandatory retirement age.
- Seats: 7 justices on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
- Term: no fixed term.
- Confirmation: appointees must be approved by the Governor’s Council.
- To serve again: Serve to age limit or for life.
- Age rule: Serve until the mandatory retirement age of 70.
- Other courts: Appeals Court and trial judges are appointed with commission screening and serve to 70.
Compare every state on the judicial selection table.
Is the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on the 2026 ballot?
No — and no other judge is either. Massachusetts fills every court by appointment, so judges never appear on the ballot.
Following judicial appointments in Massachusetts
With no judicial elections, the public’s say runs through the officials who choose judges: the governor who appoints them and the Governor’s Council, which must approve each appointment. Full details, including how vacancies are filled, are on Ballotpedia’s Massachusetts judicial selection page.
For everything else on your ballot, see how to vote in Massachusetts.
Federal judges in Massachusetts
Federal judges are never on a ballot: the President nominates them and the U.S. Senate confirms them for life. Massachusetts’s two senators vote on every nominee and are traditionally consulted on district court nominees from the state.
Massachusetts’s senators: Elizabeth Warren (Democratic) and Edward Markey (Democratic).
Confirmed by recorded vote in 2026
No federal judge for a court in Massachusetts has been confirmed by roll-call vote in 2026.
District judges for courts in Massachusetts and circuit judges from the state. Judges confirmed by voice vote leave no roll call; the Senate’s list of confirmed nominations has them. Roll calls from the snapshot refreshed Oct 1, 2026.
Open federal judgeships
- District of Massachusetts: seat of Nathaniel M. Gorton (senior, May 31, 2025) — no nominee yet.
- District of Massachusetts: seat of F. Dennis Saylor (senior, Jul 31, 2025) — no nominee yet.
Source: uscourts.gov current judicial vacancies. Every vacancy nationwide is on the judicial elections hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are judges elected in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court justices are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Governor’s Council, and serve until the mandatory retirement age. Appeals Court and trial judges are appointed with commission screening and serve to 70.
How long is a term on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court?
There is no fixed term. Serve until the mandatory retirement age of 70.
Is the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on the 2026 ballot?
No. Massachusetts voters do not vote on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court: its justices are appointed, and they serve until the mandatory retirement age.
Are any judges on the Massachusetts ballot?
No. Massachusetts fills every court by appointment, so no judge appears on the ballot.
Who appoints federal judges in Massachusetts?
The President nominates and the U.S. Senate confirms them; they serve for life. Massachusetts's senators, Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey, vote on every nomination and are traditionally consulted on district court nominees from the state.
Related
Judicial Elections in Every State
How all 50 states choose judges, every 2026 supreme court race, and federal confirmations.
How to Vote in Massachusetts
Registration, early voting, mail ballots and poll hours.
Massachusetts Senators & Representatives
Your delegation in Congress and when each term ends.
What Can Congress Do?
Can Congress declare war, override a veto, impeach a cabinet member, remove a senator, overrule the Supreme Court, or invoke the 25th Amendment? Question by question, with live vote math.