Know before you vote: Candidates and issues in Barnstable Superior Court Clerk election

Editor's note: This story will be updated as individuals announce their candidacies. It is part of a series meant to provide voters with information ahead of the state primary Sept. 3 and state election Nov. 5. New profiles on contested government positions for Cape Cod and the Islands will be released each day this week.

The Barnstable County Superior Court Clerk seat is up for election this year. The primary election is Sept. 3 and the general election is Nov. 5.

The deadline to register to vote, update your voter registration, or change your party is 10 days before any election or town meeting.

As of Feb. 25, one person is running for the seat. State Sen. Susan Moran, D-Falmouth, has filed to run for the clerk position. Incumbent Scott Nickerson announced he will not seek reelection.

State senate race: Know before you vote: Candidates and issues in Cape and Islands state Senate election

What were the issues in the last election?

Nickerson has served the court since 2000 when he ran against then-Clerk Phyllis Day, according to the website of the Secretary of State.

He told the Times in November the issues he tackled during his tenure have been computerizing the office, making updates to the court’s criminal defendant holding infrastructure, helping set up a system to aid self-representing litigants and implementing internship programs for Barnstable and Dennis-Yarmouth high school students who may have an interest in law.

What towns or areas does this seat cover?

Barnstable County.

What does the person elected to this seat do? How much does it pay? How often reelected?

The Superior Court Clerk records, files and maintains the proceedings of the court, such as trial dockets, case files and journals of past court proceedings. The clerk of courts seat is a six-year term. The annual salary for incumbent Scott Nickerson in 2023 was $174,532, according to state records.

Who is the incumbent?

Nickerson, the 20-year incumbent, has decided not to run for reelection, citing health reasons.

So far, who has filed papers to run for the job or seek reelection?

Massachusetts Sen. Susan Moran, D-Falmouth, who has announced she will not run for reelection, has filed to run for the position of Barnstable County Superior Court Clerk. Moran has raised $54,867 for her campaign, according to the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance.

Walker Armstrong reports on all things Cape and Islands, primarily focusing on courts, transportation and the Joint Base Cape Cod military base. Contact him at WArmstrong@capecodonline.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jd__walker.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Top issues in the race for Barnstable Superior Court Clerk