arrow Queens County Civil Court Roman Tiraspolsky / Shutterstock While the media spotlight has been largely focused on the NYC mayoral candidates, when you head to the polls for the June 22nd primary you'll also find a number of judicial posts on the ballot. Most of the judges are running for open seats in Civil Court, which, unlike other judicial posts appointed by the mayor and governor, are elected positions. Judges in these courts—broken up into municipal districts per borough and a countywide court—decide on a slew of cases, including commercial tenant-landlord disputes, seeking repairs from a landlord, and small claims of up to $25,000. Unlike most elected officials, judges do not have to live in the borough in which they hear cases. There is also a race for Surrogate's Court, where judges hear cases involving wills and testaments, estates, and adoptions. Those terms last for 14 years.