Cook County, Illinois, Merge Offices Measure (November 2016)

Cook County Merge Offices Measure
Election date November 8, 2016
Topic County governance
Status Approved
Type Referral

Cook County Merge Offices Measure was on the ballot as a referral in Cook County on November 8, 2016. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported eliminating the Office of the Cook County Recorder of Deeds and transferring its duties to the Office of the Cook County Clerk.

A "no" vote opposed eliminating the Office of the Cook County Recorder of Deeds and transferring its duties to the Office of the Cook County Clerk.

A simple majority was required to approve the measure.

Election results

Cook County Merge Offices Measure
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		609,273	64.29%
No		338,475	35.71%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Merge Offices Measure was as follows:

“

Shall the Office of the Cook County Recorder of Deeds be eliminated and all duties and responsibilities of the Office of the Cook County Recorder of Deeds be transferred to, and assumed by, the Office of the Cook County Clerk by December 7, 2020?

”

Path to the ballot

This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the governing body of Cook County.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Illinois

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Illinois.

How to vote in Illinois

Poll times

In Illinois, all polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time. Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Illinois, a person must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of an Illinois precinct for at least 30 days prior to election day, and at least 18 years old by Election Day. A 17-year-old may vote in a primary if he or she will be 18 years old at the subsequent general election. Preregistration is available starting at age 16.

Regular registration closes during the period beginning 27 days prior to an election. Online registration closes 16 days prior to an election. Grace period registration is available in person through Election Day at certain locations.

Prospective voters can register online, by mail, or at any of the following locations:

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County Clerk's Office Board of Election Commissioner's Office City and Village Offices Township Offices Precinct Committeeman Schools Public Libraries Military Recruitment Offices

”

Two forms of identification are required to register in person, one of which must display the voter's current address. Eligible forms of ID include but are not limited to driver's license, bank statement, residence contract or lease, utility bill, or state identification card number.

Automatic registration

See also: Automatic voter registration

Illinois automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles and other designated automatic voter registration agencies.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Illinois has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

See also: Same-day voter registration

Illinois allows same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

Illinois law requires individuals to reside "in this State and in the election district 30 days next preceding any election" to be eligible to vote.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Illinois does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Registration Lookup page, run by the Illinois Board of Elections, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Illinois does not require voters to present identification while voting, in most cases. Pursuant to the Help America Vote Act, first-time voters who registered by mail and did not submit their driver’s license number, state ID number, last four digits of their social security number, or other form of ID are required to present identification showing their name and address before voting.

The following list of accepted ID was current as of December 2025.Click here for the Illinois State Board of Elections voting information page to ensure you have the most current information.

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At least one form of ID showing your current address is needed. These may include but are not limited to: drivers license bank statement residence contract/lease utility bill State identification card number

”

See also

Local measures

• Local measures in 2016
• County governance on the ballot

Illinois

• Illinois 2016 local measures
• Local ballot measures, Illinois
• Cook County, Illinois

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas