It can be hard to vote for a judge.

When judges run for election, they are almost always circumspect about what they say. So it can be challenging to figure who might be the best candidate.

There are important positions up for election in the May primary. Van Pounds faces Meagan Flynn for Oregon Supreme Court. Rex Armstrong faces Kyle Krohn for the Court of Appeals.

A source of information that can be helpful is the Oregon State Bar’s Judicial Candidate Voting Guide. It’s available online at osbar.org.

The guide is a rich source of information about candidates. It includes basics, and there are questions that help fill out a picture of who candidates are. They are asked to give an example of an important case or legal issue they have worked on. They are asked to try to explain their legal philosophy. They are asked to select a legal figure whom they admire and why.

Judges make life-changing decisions for Oregonians. The guide can help Oregonians judge wisely who will be doing the judging.