The Minnesota Supreme Court primary may be the most important election nobody's heard of
A quick primer: The Minnesota Supreme Court’s seven justices make up the state’s court of last resort, handling appeals from Minnesota’s lower courts and big-picture legal questions, such as statutory issues and questions dealing with the Minnesota Constitution. It also helps administer lower Minnesota courts.
Justices are elected to six-year terms and are required to retire when they turn 70. If they vacate their seat midterm — which happens most of the time, often because of the age limit — the governor may appoint a replacement. That replacement must face election to keep the seat.
While the Minnesota Supreme Court’s rulings can affect all Minnesotans, most Minnesotans never come into direct contact with it: You might remember it from the state Senate recount in 2008 and the gubernatorial recount in 2010 — the Minnesota Supreme Court made rulings in those processes.
https://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2016/08/minnesota-supreme-court-primary-may-be-most-important-election-nobodys-heard