Their Dem controlled Supreme Court kept changing the rules as they went along...rule changes the Democrats anticipated and were already prepared for. The fraud was basically all legalized before the fact, while the Republicans were prepared for and organized around the rules as they existed when the election process started.
For better or worse (likely the latter) the SCOPA is elected directly.
Most voters don't have a clue and since the candidates can cross-file in the Primaries the voters don't really know their true party labels without doing some research.
Many voters simply go by ballot order or by recommendations from various unions, etc.