TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Oct. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This year The Florida Bar is helping to answer voters' questions about judges and judicial elections and merit retention in anticipation of the November 6 election.

The Vote's in YOUR COURT: Judicial merit retention. Know the facts. is the Bar's educational program to inform Florida's voters about merit retention, a voting process where Supreme Court justices and appeals court judges are on the ballot to determine whether they should stay in office. This program also provides information on the merit selection process, the role and responsibilities of judges in our courts and voter's guides.

The program's official website, www.floridabar.org/thevotesinyourcourt, includes the following resources:

• Frequently asked questions about merit retention
• Voter guides by The Florida Bar and The League of Women Voters of Florida available in English and Spanish
• An 8-minute video on merit selection and retention, introduced by retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
• Florida Bar member retention poll results
• Bios of the judges and justices on the Nov. 6 ballot
• "The Vote's in YOUR COURT and the Vote is Coming Soon" by Florida Bar President Gwynne Young
• Background Information Paper on Merit Selection and Retention
• Scott G. Hawkins, Perspective on Judicial Merit Retention in Florida, 64 Florida Law Review 1421 (2012)
• Florida Division of Elections resources and information

The Florida Bar has provided public education on the judicial merit retention process since the first merit retention election in 1978. By law, The Florida Bar -- as an official arm of the Supreme Court of Florida -- may not endorse or oppose any political or judicial candidate, or otherwise engage in partisan political activities.

Visit www.FloridaBar.org/TheVotesinYOURCOURT for nonpartisan, educational materials on merit retention and biographical information on the justices and judges who will appear on November's ballot. You can also follow the program at http://www.facebook.com/TheVotesInYOURCOURT and @VotesinURCourt.

SOURCE The Florida Bar