2024 Colorado Voter Knowledge Assessment
Voter Poll Report — 2024 Retention Election
About this report
The report was prepared by the research team at Market Decisions Research of Portland, Maine. This research was conducted on behalf of the Colorado Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation (OJPE) to gather information on the knowledge and perception of Colorado voters about the Judicial Performance Evaluation Process.
Key Findings
Awareness of Judicial Evaluations
A majority of Colorado voters (53%) who participated in the recent election report being aware of judicial evaluations conducted by Commissions on Judicial Performance (23 district-level and one statewide commission). Among those who have heard of the evaluations, nearly two-thirds (64%) say the goal of the commissions is to provide voters with information about the performance of each judge standing for retention, a significant increase compared to 49% in 2022.
The Colorado Blue Book (among voters aware of commission evaluations or recommendations)
Almost all (92%) recall receiving a copy of the Colorado Blue Book in the mail and 74% used the book to review judicial performance evaluations. 88% say the Blue Book was helpful when voting on justices and judges in the recent November election to be better informed.
judicialperformance.colorado.gov (among voters aware of commission evaluations or recommendations)
36% of voters visited the judicial performance website to review the evaluations of the judges. More than three-quarters (80%) of those 65 years or older indicated that they did not visit the website, significantly higher than the overall value for not visiting (62%). 74% of visitors say the information was helpful in assisting them to be better informed when voting on justices and judges, compared to 81% in 2022.
Judicial Information Needed
33% of voters say they feel most voters have enough information to make informed decisions during retention elections. Voters would like better descriptions of performance, to know a judge's stance on issues, and have more information on sentencing decisions.
Performance and Credibility of the Commissions
Among those aware of commissions' evaluations or recommendations: when asked to rate the importance of the commissions' goal to improve the performance of each judge, 88% say the commissions' goals are very important or important, which is the same as 2022. A similar number of respondents (90%) say the commissions' goal to provide voters with information about the performance of each judge on the ballot for retention election is also very important or important.
Three of five (60%) say the commissions are doing an excellent or a good job providing voters information about the performance of Colorado's judges and justices that are on the ballot for retention. 29% say the commissions are doing an excellent job getting information to voters, a slight decrease from 31% in 2022.
65% say they relied on the information from the commissions (a score of four or five) to decide whether to retain judges, a decrease from 71% in 2022.
When asked to evaluate the credibility of the commissions' evaluations, more than two-thirds (71%) say they feel the commissions' evaluations are trustworthy (a score of four or five) with 32% saying the commissions' evaluations are very trustworthy (a score of five).
Methodology
Background
The Colorado Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation (OJPE) periodically polls Colorado voters to gather information on their knowledge and perception of the Judicial Performance Evaluation Process. In 2024, the OJPE contracted Market Decisions Research (MDR) of Portland, Maine to field a survey to Colorado voters and provide OJPE with a detailed report.
Sample
The sample for the phone survey was composed of listed telephone numbers of registered Colorado voters. This sample included cellular telephone numbers. The sample for the online panel survey was composed of registered voters with email addresses.
Data Collection
Data collection took place from December 9 to December 23 and was conducted by MDR's call center. The online survey was administered on December 2 in the Voxco platform.
Survey Instrument
The survey instrument for this survey was designed by the Colorado Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation.
Completed Surveys
Over the course of data collection, a total of 423 surveys were completed. Of these, 164 were completed via telephone and 259 were completed online.
Limitations
It is important to keep in mind that the survey results presented in this report are of the unweighted sample. Given the nature of the survey questions, and in some cases, the small sample sizes for certain sub-groups, one should use caution when drawing conclusions from the results. They may only represent the opinions of those who completed the survey and not the larger population of Coloradans.
Sampling Error
The overall sampling error for a sample of 423 is ±5% at the 95% confidence level. This means that given a percentage response, say 45%, there is a 95% chance that the actual percentage is between 40% and 50% if everyone in the population were surveyed. Sub samples of groups of respondents will have higher margins of error: ±6% for 300, ±7% for 200, ±8% for 150, and ±10% for 100.
Detailed Findings
Awareness of Judicial Evaluations (Q3)
Q3: Have you ever heard of judicial evaluations conducted by the Colorado Commissions on Judicial Performance?
More than half (53%) of Coloradans who participated in the recent election report being aware of judicial evaluations conducted by the Commissions on Judicial Performance, up from 49% in 2022.
| Response | 2020 (n=400) | 2022 (n=428) | 2024 (n=423) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 45% | 49% | 53% |
| No / Don't Know | 55% | 51% | 47% |
Perceived Goals or Missions of the Commissions (Q4)
Q4: Do you happen to know what are any of the goals of the Commissions on Judicial Performance?
Respondent could provide more than one response to this question.
Among those who have heard of the Colorado Commissions on Judicial Performance's evaluations, almost two-thirds (64%) say the goals of the commissions are to provide voters with information about the performance of each judge who is standing for retention, a significant increase compared to 2022. More than four of ten (41%) indicated that the goal was to improve the performance and skills of judges.
| Response | 2020 (n=179) | 2022 (n=210) | 2024 (n=224) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provide voters with information about the performance of each judge who is standing for retention | 11% | 49% | 64% |
| To improve the performance/skills of judges | 11% | 26% | 41% |
| To rate/grade judges' performance | 24% | 25% | 24% |
| Other | 6% | 8% | 2% |
| Don't Know / Won't Say | 67% | 32% | 22% |
Awareness After Aided Description (Q5)
Q5: The Colorado Commissions on Judicial Performance evaluate the job performance of Colorado's judges standing for retention and reports their findings to Colorado's voters prior to each election. Are you aware of these Commissions?
Asked of those who did not initially say they have heard of the Colorado Commission on Judicial Performance.
Among voters who did not initially say they have heard of the Colorado Commissions on Judicial Performance, only 23% say they are aware of the commissions after being aided with a brief description of the commissions' function. This is a slight increase compared to 17% in 2022.
| Response | 2020 (n=221) | 2022 (n=219) | 2024 (n=199) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 25% | 17% | 23% |
| No / Don't Know | 75% | 83% | 77% |
Recall of Judicial Evaluations or Recommendations (Q6)
Q6: Do you recall reading or hearing about any of the judicial evaluations or recommendations that were written by the Commissions on Judicial Performance?
Asked of those aware of the Commissions on Judicial Performance.
Overall, more than three-quarters (79%) of voters with an awareness of the Commissions on Judicial Performance say they recall reading or hearing about judicial evaluations or recommendations that are written by the commissions. This is a slight increase compared to 75% in 2022.
| Response | 2020 (n=235) | 2022 (n=218) | 2024 (n=243) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 69% | 75% | 79% |
| No / Don't Know | 31% | 25% | 21% |
Recollection of Receiving the Blue Book (Q7)
Q7: Do you recall receiving a copy of the Blue Book in the mail?
Asked of all that recall reading or hearing about judicial evaluations or recommendations written by the Commissions on Judicial Performance.
Among those aware of judicial evaluations or recommendations, 92% recall receiving a copy of the Colorado Blue Book in the mail, comparable to 2022.
| Response | 2020 (n=162) | 2022 (n=163) | 2024 (n=191) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 94% | 91% | 92% |
| No / Don't Know | 6% | 9% | 8% |
Use of the Blue Book to Review Judicial Performance Evaluations (Q8)
Q8: Did you use the voter guide, also known as the Colorado Blue Book, to review judicial performance evaluations?
Asked of all that recall reading or hearing about judicial evaluations or recommendations written by the Commissions on Judicial Performance.
Just under three-fourths (74%) of those aware of commission evaluations or recommendations say they used the voter guide, also known as the Colorado Blue Book, to review judicial performance evaluations. This is a decrease from 82% in 2022.
| Response | 2020 (n=153) | 2022 (n=148) | 2024 (n=175) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 82% | 82% | 74% |
| Somewhat (volunteered) | 8% | 11% | 18% |
| No / Don't Know | 10% | 7% | 8% |
Blue Book Helpfulness (Q9)
Q9: Was the voter guide that you received helpful in assisting you to be better informed when voting on justices and judges on your ballot in the recent November election?
Asked of all that recall reading or hearing about judicial evaluations or recommendations written by the Commissions on Judicial Performance and read the Colorado Blue Book.
Almost nine out of ten (88%) of those aware of commission evaluations or recommendations and who read the Colorado Blue Book found the guide helpful, down slightly from 2022.
| Response | 2020 (n=138) | 2022 (n=137) | 2024 (n=162) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 87% | 91% | 88% |
| No | 12% | 8% | 10% |
| Don't know / won't say | 1% | 1% | 2% |
Visited the Commissions' Website (Q10)
Q10: Did you visit the website to review the evaluations of the judges?
Asked of all that recall reading or hearing about judicial evaluations or recommendations written by the Commissions on Judicial Performance.
More than one-third (36%) of those aware of commissions' evaluations or recommendations visited the website to review the evaluation of judges, up slightly from 33% in 2022. More than three-quarters (80%) of those 65 years or older indicated that they did not visit the website, significantly higher than the overall value for not visiting (62%).
| Response | 2020 (n=162) | 2022 (n=163) | 2024 (n=191) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 20% | 33% | 36% |
| No | 78% | 67% | 62% |
| Don't know / won't say | 2% | 0% | 2% |
Website Helpfulness (Q11 and Q12)
Q11: Was the information on the judicial performance website helpful in assisting you to be better informed when voting on justices and judges on your ballot in the recent November election?
Asked of all visiting the website.
Among those who visited the judicial performance website, about three-quarters (74%) say the information was helpful in assisting them to be better informed when voting on justices and judges, a decrease from 81% in 2022.
| Response | 2020 (n=33) | 2022 (n=53) | 2024 (n=69) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 76% | 81% | 74% |
| Somewhat | 18% | 13% | 23% |
| Don't know / won't say | 6% | 6% | 3% |
Q12: What in particular did you find helpful?
Asked of all visiting the website. Respondent could provide more than one response to this question.
Among those who visited the judicial performance website, the evaluation narrative was the information they found most helpful on the website (69%), followed by a complete list of judges with recommendations (63%).
| Response | 2020 (n=31) | 2022 (n=50) | 2024 (n=67) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evaluation Narrative | — (not asked) | 64% | 69% |
| Complete List of Judges with Recommendations | 42% | 62% | 63% |
| Survey Reports | 23% | 52% | 37% |
| Program Information | 10% | 22% | 27% |
| Infographics | 10% | 20% | 25% |
| Other (Please Specify) | 61% | 10% | 6% |
| Don't know / won't say | 3% | 0% | 0% |
Media Recall of the Commissions (Q13)
Q13: Do you recall hearing or seeing anything in the newspaper, on television, on the radio, or on social media (Facebook/Instagram) in the last 6 months about the Commissions on Judicial Performance?
The majority of voters (81%) say they do not recall hearing or seeing anything in the last six months about the Commissions on Judicial Performance on social media, radio, or in the news. Facebook (9%), newspaper (6%), and radio (6%) were the most common sources for those who recall hearing or seeing something about the commissions.
| Response | 2020 (n=400) | 2022 (n=400) | 2024 (n=423) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes, Facebook | 2% | 6% | 9% |
| Yes, newspaper | 7% | 4% | 6% |
| Yes, radio | 1% | 4% | 6% |
| Yes, television | 4% | 3% | 5% |
| Yes, Twitter / Instagram | 1% | 1% | 4% |
| Other | 3% | 3% | 2% |
| No / Don't Know / Won't Say | 86% | 85% | 81% |
Importance of Goal — Improving Judge Performance (Q14)
Q14: Overall, how would you rate the importance of the Commissions' goal to improve the performance of each judge?
Asked of all that recall reading or hearing about judicial evaluations or recommendations written by the Commissions on Judicial Performance.
When rating the importance of the commissions' goal to improve the performance of each judge, 88% of those aware of commissions evaluations or recommendations say the commissions' goal is very important or important (a score of a four or five).
| Rating | 2020 (n=162) | 2022 (n=182) | 2024 (n=210) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 — Very Important | 56% | 65% | 58% |
| 4 | 20% | 23% | 30% |
| 3 | 10% | 9% | 8% |
| 2 | 4% | 1% | 1% |
| 1 — Not Important at All | 5% | 2% | 1% |
| Don't know / won't say | 4% | 1% | 1% |
Importance of Goal — Informing Voters (Q15)
Q15: Overall, how would you rate the importance of the Commissions' goal to provide voters with information about the performance of each judge on the ballot for retention election?
Asked of all that recall reading or hearing about judicial evaluations or recommendations written by the Commissions on Judicial Performance.
When rating the importance of the commissions' goal to provide voters with information about the performance of each judge on the ballot for retention election, 90% of those aware of commission evaluations or recommendations indicate the goal is very important or important, 66% indicate the goal is very important. This is comparable to the 91% in 2022 that indicated the goal is very important or important.
| Rating | 2020 (n=150) | 2022 (n=182) | 2024 (n=210) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 — Very Important | 65% | 73% | 66% |
| 4 | 12% | 19% | 24% |
| 3 | 13% | 6% | 7% |
| 2 | 1% | 1% | 2% |
| 1 — Not Important at All | 6% | 2% | 0% |
| Don't know / won't say | 4% | 1% | 0% |
How Well the Commissions Are Getting Information to Voters (Q16)
Q16: Overall, how well are the Commissions doing in getting voters information regarding the performance of Colorado's judges and justices on the ballot for retention?
Asked of all that recall reading or hearing about judicial evaluations or recommendations written by the Commissions on Judicial Performance.
When rating how well the commissions are doing in getting information to voters about the performance of Colorado's judges and justices on the ballot for retention, three in five (60%) of those aware of commission evaluations or recommendations say the commissions are doing an excellent or good job (a score of four or five); 29% say the commissions are doing an excellent job getting information to voters. This is a slight decrease from 62% in 2022 who indicated the commissions are doing an excellent or good job getting voters information.
| Rating | 2020 (n=162) | 2022 (n=182) | 2024 (n=210) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 — Excellent | 23% | 31% | 29% |
| 4 | 31% | 30% | 31% |
| 3 | 28% | 25% | 26% |
| 2 | 8% | 8% | 7% |
| 1 — Very Poor | 7% | 5% | 5% |
| Don't know / won't say | 3% | 1% | 2% |
Level of Reliance on Commissions' Information (Q17)
Q17: How much did you rely on this information for making your decisions whether or not to retain judges?
Asked of all that recall reading or hearing about judicial evaluations or recommendations written by the Commissions on Judicial Performance.
Nearly two-thirds (65%) of those aware of commission evaluations or recommendations say they relied on the information from the commissions (a score of four or five) to decide whether to retain judges; almost two-fifths (38%) say they relied very much on the information provided by the commissions. This is a decrease from 48% in 2022 who very much relied on the information.
| Rating | 2020 (n=162) | 2022 (n=182) | 2024 (n=210) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 — Relied very much | 42% | 48% | 38% |
| 4 | 19% | 23% | 27% |
| 3 | 18% | 12% | 22% |
| 2 | 7% | 6% | 7% |
| 1 — Did not rely on at all | 13% | 10% | 6% |
| Don't know / won't say | 1% | 1% | 0% |
Trustworthiness / Credibility of the Commissions' Evaluations (Q18)
Q18: How trustworthy or credible do you find the Commissions' evaluations?
In 2024 and 2022, the question was asked of those that recall reading or hearing about judicial evaluations or recommendations written by the Commissions on Judicial Performance. 2020 data was recalculated for comparison.
When evaluating the credibility of the commissions' evaluations, almost three-quarters (71%) of Colorado voters say the commissions' evaluations are trustworthy (a score of 4 or 5) with 32% saying the commissions' evaluations are very trustworthy.
| Rating | 2020 (n=180) | 2022 (n=182) | 2024 (n=210) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 — Very Trustworthy | 28% | 36% | 32% |
| 4 | 23% | 36% | 39% |
| 3 | 28% | 18% | 18% |
| 2 | 4% | 4% | 6% |
| 1 — Not Trustworthy at All | 9% | 4% | 3% |
| Don't know / won't say | 9% | 3% | 3% |
Do Most Voters Have Enough Information? (Q19)
Q19: Generally, do you feel most voters have enough information to make informed decisions about which judges should be retained and which judges should not?
One-third (33%) of voters say most voters have enough information to make informed decisions about which judges should be retained and which judges should not, significantly lower than in 2022 (50%).
| Response | 2020 (n=400) | 2022 (n=428) | 2024 (n=423) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes, have enough information | 24% | 50% | 33% |
| No, do not have enough information | 70% | 48% | 64% |
| Don't know / won't say | 6% | 2% | 3% |
Types of Information Voters Want More Of (Q20)
Q20: What types of judicial retention information would you like to have more of?
Respondent could provide more than one response to this question.
Almost half (47%) of voters say they would like to have better descriptions of performance. This was followed by wanting more information on a judge's stance on a particular issue (39%) and on sentencing (22%).
| Response | 2020 (n=281) | 2022 (n=204) | 2024 (n=272) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Better descriptions of performance | 32% | 35% | 47% |
| Judges' stance on a particular issue | 27% | 26% | 39% |
| Sentencing | 12% | 25% | 22% |
| Political party affiliation | 14% | 18% | 20% |
| More biographical information / More information in general | 24% | 15% | 17% |
| Better survey data | 9% | 26% | 14% |
| Liberal / Conservative | 7% | 10% | 14% |
| More information about judge/attorney feedback / judge vote record | — | — | 6% |
| What cases they have had and their rulings / the outcomes of their cases | 3% | 6% | 3% |
| More marketing for public awareness about Blue Book | — | — | 1% |
| Use simple terms not legal jargon so people can understand | 0% | 0% | 1% |
| Performance grade for each judge | 2% | 3% | — |
| Other | 3% | 5% | 8% |
| Don't Know / Won't Say | 20% | 10% | 9% |
Overall Self-Reported Knowledge About Judge Retention (Q21)
Q21: How informed do you feel you are about making knowledgeable decisions about which judges should be retained?
One-third (34%) of Colorado voters say they felt informed (a score of four or five) about making knowledgeable decisions about which judges should be retained, with 15% saying very informed. More than one-third (37%) did not feel informed (a score of one or two), a slight decrease from 41% in 2022.
| Rating | 2020 (n=400) | 2022 (n=428) | 2024 (n=423) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 — Very informed | 13% | 14% | 15% |
| 4 | 14% | 21% | 19% |
| 3 | 23% | 24% | 29% |
| 2 | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| 1 — Not Informed at All | 30% | 25% | 20% |
| Don't know / won't say | 2% | 0% | 1% |
Demographics
Age Categories
| Category | 2020 | 2022 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 to 34 years | 7% | 18% | 20% |
| 35 to 49 years | 15% | 28% | 21% |
| 50 to 64 years | 30% | 27% | 26% |
| 65 years or older | 47% | 27% | 33% |
| Won't Say | 1% | 0% | 0% |
Household Income
| Category | 2020 | 2022 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than $20,000 | 7% | 6% | 5% |
| $20,000 to $39,999 | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| $40,000 to $59,999 | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| $60,000 to $79,999 | 13% | 14% | 15% |
| $80,000 and over | 32% | 45% | 45% |
| Won't Say | 19% | 6% | 6% |
Ethnicity
| Category | 2020 | 2022 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 6% | 7% | 12% |
| Anglo / Caucasian | 80% | 79% | 76% |
| Black / African-American | 1% | 3% | 5% |
| Native American Indian | 1% | 3% | 2% |
| Other Descent | 6% | 5% | 6% |
| Won't Say | 6% | 6% | 4% |
Education Level
| Category | 2020 | 2022 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Some high school | 1% | 0% | 0% |
| High school graduate | 11% | 10% | 13% |
| Some college / Associate degree / Vocational certificate | 33% | 29% | 30% |
| College graduate (4 years) | 27% | 34% | 35% |
| Graduate work or degree | 26% | 26% | 20% |
| Won't Say | 3% | 0% | 1% |
Gender
| Category | 2020 | 2022 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 51% | 44% | 52% |
| Female | 50% | 55% | 46% |
Length of Residency
| Category | 2020 | 2022 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 8 years | 7% | 20% | 13% |
| 8 to 20 years | 15% | 17% | 20% |
| More than 20 years | 78% | 63% | 67% |
| Won't Say | 1% | — | 0% |
Region
| Category | 2020 | 2022 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Plains | 7% | 7% | 5% |
| Metro | 39% | 49% | 53% |
| North Front Range | 19% | 16% | 14% |
| South Front Range | 22% | 18% | 21% |
| Western Slope | 14% | 9% | 8% |
Political Affiliation
| Category | 2020 | 2022 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democrat | 34% | 42% | 33% |
| Republican | 31% | 22% | 28% |
| Unaffiliated / Other | 36% | 35% | 35% |
| Won't Say | — | 1% | 3% |
Appendix — Survey Instrument
The full 2024 survey instrument is reproduced in the source PDF (slides 32–46). Beginning in 2024, social-media probes in Q13 were updated to list Instagram alongside Facebook (2022 and earlier listed Facebook/Twitter). The 2024 field used a dual-mode design: 164 responses via telephone and 259 responses via online panel. See the original PDF for the verbatim instrument.