(NewsNation) — Pennsylvanians are voting Tuesday on whether to retain three state supreme court justices for another 10-year term, potentially avoiding or creating a deadlocked bench.

The decision to keep or scrap the three Democratic justices — Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht — will play a significant role in the next decade of politics and precedents in Pennsylvania.

At present, Democrats hold a 5-2 majority in Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court. If any of the judges were to lose their retention vote, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and two-thirds of Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled Senate would have to agree on a temporary appointment to fill the seat.

That means, if all three justices get the boot and leaders fail to find appointments, the commonwealth’s highest court

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