Elon poll finds NC residents like electing judges
November 20, 2009 16:00 EST

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- A poll says North Carolina residents like electing their judges, but some are open to letting an independent commission appoint them.

The Elon University Poll released Friday found more than two-thirds of those polled say they support choosing their judges on a ballot, as they elect other officials. Similar percentages of those surveyed opposed changing the law to let the governor appoint judges.

But nearly half said they agreed with the idea of an independent panel appointing judges. The panel would not consist of the governor or Legislature.

Elon pollsters surveyed 563 North Carolina residents by phone Monday through Thursday. There's a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.