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Highlighting key Pa. court races ahead of the 2023 primaries

Positions with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Commonwealth Court, and Superior Court are on the ballot.

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Voters will be heading to the polls in less than two weeks and will be deciding on key races at the local and state level.

“We often think of those high-profile elections; presidents, senators and governors as the ones we really pay attention to and are the most important," said Dan Mallinson, a public policy professor at Penn State Harrisburg. "But the courts are incredibly important.”

Mallinson says positions with the state Supreme Court, Commonwealth Court, and Superior Court are up for grabs.

He adds that recent history shows the importance of Pennsylvania’s court system when it comes to shaping state policy.

“In 2018, the state Supreme Court threw out the district map of Pennsylvania. Ultimately, because of a log jam with the legislature and governor, that court then ended up drawing the congressional districts," said Mallinson. "We recently had a decision by the Commonwealth Court, which will likely be heard by the Supreme Court, declaring the way we fund our schools to be illegal in the state.”

He adds that the lack of high-profile races, like the 2022 midterms, often will impact voter turnout in off-year elections. He told FOX43 that devoted partisan voters will likely decide the winners of the May primaries.

“You’re going to have more of those stronger, polarized views among those who are often coming out to vote in these elections," said Mallinson.

Even with the off-year election label, he believes these races are still consequential.

“[The courts] are a co-equal branch with the governor and the legislature, they are just as important," he said.

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