SECTION 156

Time of holding election for supreme court justices; staggered terms of office for supreme court justices.

The chief justice and associate justices of the supreme court shall be chosen at an election to be held at the time and places fixed by law for the election of members of the house of representatives of the congress of the United States, until the legislature shall by law change the time of holding such election. The term of office of the chief justice, who shall be elected in the year nineteen hundred and four, shall be as provided in the last preceding section. The successors of two of the associate justices elected in the year nineteen hundred and four shall be elected in the year nineteen hundred and six, and the successors of the other two associate justices elected in nineteen hundred and four shall be elected in the year nineteen hundred and eight. The associate justices of said court elected in the year nineteen hundred and four shall draw or cast lots among themselves to determine which of them shall hold office for the terms ending, respectively, in the years nineteen hundred and six and nineteen hundred and eight, and until their respective successors are elected or appointed and qualified. The result of such determination shall be certified to the governor, by such associate justices, or a majority of them, prior to the first day of January, nineteen hundred and five, and such certificate shall be entered upon the minutes of the court. In the event of the failure of said associate justices to make and certify such determination, the governor shall designate the terms for which they shall respectively hold office, as above provided, and shall issue his proclamation accordingly. In the event of an increase or reduction by law of the number of associate justices of the supreme court, the legislature shall, as nearly as may be, provide for the election, each second year, of one-third of the members of said court.