Malba Alvarez seeks Yuma County Superior Court clerk post

Malba Alvarez is running for Yuma County Superior Court clerk with a promise to bring a fresh perspective to an office that handles filings, fees and public access to court records. The Yuma woman is on the Republican primary ballot for the clerk post against Bobbie Jo Daily, with county voters set to decide the race on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.

Alvarez told KYMA that her work as an educator and a business owner has prepared her for the demands of the job. Her campaign message centers on customer service and on making an office she says should not remain stagnant work better for the people who depend on it.

That matters because the clerk of the Superior Court is more than a back-office title. Yuma County says the clerk is the official record keeper and financial officer for the Superior Court, and the office is the first stop for starting Superior Court action in adoptions, civil, criminal, domestic relations, mental health, probate and tax matters. The clerk’s office also manages legal documents, financial ledgers, statistical reports, evidence and record preservation.

Arizona law gives the job specific responsibilities as well. Under A.R.S. § 12-283, the clerk must attend each court session in the county, keep a list of fees charged in actions, keep records required by law or court rule and prepare annual civil-case reporting. For residents who file paperwork, pay fees or try to track a case, the position shapes how smoothly the court system operates day to day.

The race is on Yuma County’s 2026 ballot, and county election pages identify the Clerk of the Superior Court as one of the offices up for election. Ballotpedia lists Alvarez as a Republican candidate in the July 21 primary and names Daily as her Republican opponent. County election officials also note that Arizona’s open primary system lets independent voters choose a recognized primary ballot.

The office’s records role has grown even more visible as Arizona’s eAccess system has expanded public access to many superior court civil and criminal case records filed on or after July 1, 2010. That makes the clerk’s work in recordkeeping, preservation and access part of how residents interact with the courts long after a filing is made.

For Alvarez, the campaign is built on the idea that administrative competence is not minor government housekeeping. It is the difference between a court system that feels reachable and one that feels locked behind paperwork.