County Clerk

Mission

The Cook County Clerk is the chief election officer for Cook County. The Clerk is also responsible for maintaining and providing vital records, various aspects of the real estate tax process, receiving and making available to the public statements of economic interests and lobbyist registration, and serving as Clerk to the County Board of Commissioners.

Mandates and Key Activities

• Maintains and provides vital records including birth, marriage, civil union and death certificates dating to 1872. The Vital Records division also administers business registrations, assumed names, notary commissions and an award- winning genealogy website
• Issues property tax rates, permanent real estate numbers and new tax codes, maintains real estate maps and processes redemptions of delinquent property taxes
• Receives, processes and makes available to the public more than 22,000 Statements of Economic Interests filed annually, as well as lobbyist registrations and semi-annual reports
• Prepares agendas, communicates actions taken by the Board through post- board meeting documents, and maintains the Board’s legislative records and code of Ordinances
• Administers elections for suburban Cook County’s 1.4 million registered voters, which entails voter registration, judge recruitment and training, and polling place identification, mapping and management