When voters go to the polls Tuesday, it is likely that for the judicial races --as in some of the lower profile contests -- they will base their decisions on such factors as name recognition, party and gender, instead of qualifications, ideology or endorsements.

And that, judicial experts said, is a shame.

"The quality of judging is enormously important," said Lawrence Baum, a political science professor at Ohio State University.

That's especially true in elections for appellate courts, where the decisions made affect not only the parties involved but the law as a whole.

"Most appeals end at the intermediate level," Mr. Baum said, meaning that Superior Court, which handles some 8,000 cases each year, is likely the last stop for most civil and criminal matters.

"They hear everything," said Shira Goodman, the associate director of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts.

There are 15 positions on the Superior Court bench, and four are open this year.

But in a judicial race like this, it is likely that voters know little about the nine candidates from around the state who are vying for a seat.

"For trial courts, at least the judges are from the same community [as the voters]," Mr. Baum said.

One of the problems with statewide judicial races, he continued, is the difficulty in gathering meaningful information on the candidates.

"The person who really wants to be responsible about it really has to work hard," Ms. Goodman said.

That means reading online profiles, seeking out bar association recommendations and watching available debates.

But G. Terry Madonna, a political analyst at Franklin & Marshall College, doesn't expect much of that to happen this year.

"These candidates will not be known to the voters," he said. "They won't recognize their names, let alone what they stand for."

In races like that, Mr. Baum said, party affiliation will be the single most important criterion.

"To the average American, they can comfortably go through life not thinking about the appeals courts," Mr. Madonna said.

That's why Ms. Goodman's organization supports judicial merit selection rather than election of judges.

"Judges have a really important role in our society," she said. "Their decisions affect everybody. The courts have far-reaching power, and voters don't really think about that until they are in court."

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