Overview

District Courts are responsible for the adjudication of election contests for non-state level offices. See Contests. ****There are 11 judicial districts in the state of Nevada, which means that some districts encompass more than one county. Nev. Rev. Stat. § 3.010.

Election-Related Duties

The key duties of District Courts are:

1. Hearing contests of non-state level offices. Nev. Rev. Stat. § 293.413(2).

Decisions made by the District Courts in election contests are appealable to the Nevada Supreme Court, so they do not necessarily have a final say on election contests.

Selection and Vacancy Information

• **Elected: ****District Judges are elected by the voters of their judicial district every six years. Nev. Const. Art. VI, § 5.
• Makeup: The minimum number of District Judges sitting in any district varies based on the size of the district. Nev. Rev. Stat. §§ 3.011-3.0197. In judicial districts that contain 100,000 or more people, the judges on the District Court select the Chief Judge from among themselves. That Chief Judge is responsible for presiding duties, including assigning cases to judges. Nev. Rev. Stat. § 3.025(1)-(2)(a).
• Term of Office: District Judges are elected to a term of six years with no term limit. Nev. Const. Art. VI, § 5.**
• Next Election/Appointment: The next election for all District Judges will take place in November 2026. However, any appointees who filled vacancies in the meantime will need to run in the November 2024 election to serve out the remainder of the appointed term. “Finalists for Clark County.”
• Qualifications and Restrictions: To be a District Judge, an individual must be at least 25 years old, licensed to practice law in Nevada for at least two years, and licensed to practice in any state for at least 10 years. They must also be a resident of Nevada for at least two years and have not been removed from judicial office previously by the Legislature or by the Commission on Judicial Discipline. Nev. Rev. Stat. § 3.060.
• Vacancy: Vacancies are filled by the Governor and last until the next general election. Nev. Rev. Stat. § 3.080. The Governor appoints judges from a list of three candidates supplied by the Commission on Judicial Selection. “Commission on Judicial Selection Overview.”