(1) In the primary and general election for 2 or more judgeships of the circuit court, each of the following categories of candidates shall be listed separately on the ballot, consistent with subsection (3):

    (a) The names of candidates for the judgeship or judgeships for which the incumbent is seeking election.

    (b) The names of candidates for an existing judgeship or judgeships for which the incumbent is not seeking election.

    (c) The names of candidates for a newly created judgeship or judgeships.

    (2) Nominating petitions filed under section 413 are valid only if they clearly indicate for which of the following offices the candidate is filing, consistent with subsection (3):

    (a) An unspecified existing judgeship for which the incumbent judge is not seeking election.

    (b) A new judgeship.

    (c) An unspecified existing judgeship for which the incumbent judge is seeking election.

    (3) If the death or disqualification of an incumbent judge triggers the application of section 415(2), then for the purposes of subsections (1) and (2), that judgeship shall be regarded as a judgeship for which the incumbent judge is not seeking election. The application of this subsection includes, but is not limited to, circumstances in which the governor appoints an individual to fill the vacancy and that individual seeks to qualify as a nominee under section 415(2).

    (4) A person who files nominating petitions for election to more than 1 circuit judgeship shall have not more than 3 days following the close of filing to withdraw from all but 1 filing.

    (5) In a primary and general election for 2 or more judgeships where more than 1 of the categories in subsection (2) could be selected, a candidate shall apply to the bureau of elections for a written statement of office designation to correspond to the judgeship sought by the candidate. The office designation provided by the secretary of state shall be included in the heading of all nominating petitions. Nominating petitions containing an improper office designation are invalid.

    (6) The secretary of state shall issue an office designation of incumbent position for any judgeship for which the incumbent judge is eligible to seek reelection. If an incumbent judge does not file an affidavit of candidacy by the deadline, the secretary of state shall notify all candidates for that office that a nonincumbent position exists. All nominating petitions circulated for the nonincumbent position subsequent to the deadline shall bear an office designation of nonincumbent position. All signatures collected prior to the affidavit of candidacy filing deadline may be filed with the nonincumbent nominating petitions.