Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon Highlights First-Year Accomplishments and Officewide Modernization Efforts

Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon
Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon

Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon Highlights First-Year Accomplishments and Officewide Modernization Efforts

Clerk Monica Gordon has released a comprehensive summary of her first-year accomplishments, highlighting significant progress in modernizing operations, strengthening election administration, improving customer service, and expanding access across all divisions of the Clerk’s Office.

During her first year in office, Clerk Gordon prioritized investments in technology, election security, language access, and workforce diversity and inclusion, while continuing the Clerk’s core mission of delivering effective and reliable customer service.

“This first year has been about building systems that are more modern, more secure, and more responsive to the people we serve,” said Clerk Gordon.

“From administering suburban elections to improving access to vital records and recording services, these improvements are strengthening the Clerk’s Office today and laying the foundation for better service for years to come.”

Election Operations and Security Improvements:

The Clerk’s Office successfully administered the 2025 Consolidated Elections while expanding access and implementing new security-focused innovations. Two new early voting locations were introduced in underserved communities, and voter turnout increased with all election results posted in a timely fashion.

In 2025 the Clerk’s Office also became the first large election jurisdiction in the nation to deploy automated Smart Ballot Drop Boxes equipped with surveillance cameras and ballot-tracking technology. Under Gordon’s leadership, the Clerk’s Office also launched a new Election Management System with dynamic dashboards and real-time reporting, enhanced GPS tracking for more than 1,400 Voting Supply Carriers, and operational upgrades designed to save thousands of labor hours while strengthening Election Day logistics.

In the first quarter of 2026, the Clerk’s Office will also be implementing a High School Early Voting Pilot Program at more than 20 suburban high schools, one of the first initiatives of its kind in the nation.

Modernizing Vital Records, Recording, and Property Services:

Significant customer service improvements were also implemented across the other major divisions of the Clerk’s Office under Gordon’s direction, including Vital Records, Recording Operations, and Real Estate & Tax Services.

New appointment and queuing systems were launched at multiple locations, including downtown Chicago and suburban offices in Markham, Maywood, and Skokie. These systems include online scheduling, on-site registration via QR code, and staff-assisted scheduling to ensure residents without internet or smartphone access can still be served.

Clerk Gordon also partnered with the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office to introduce new service enhancements to help residents more efficiently obtain the vital records required for REAL ID compliance.

Language access was expanded through the deployment of Pocketalk translation devices across offices, providing real-time translation in more than 90 languages. Mail processing times for vital records were also significantly reduced through improved staffing and workflow management.

Preserving History Through Innovation

Clerk Gordon also managed the largest on-site digital preservation project in the history of the Cook County Clerk’s Office, modernizing access to land records dating back more than 150 years.

The initiative to digitally capture and preserve historic land records—some dating back to 1871—achieved 70 percent completion in just 25 percent of the contracted timeline, while also coming in under budget. By the end of 2025, the Clerk’s Office processed more than 36.5 million images and pages, including bound record books, microfiche, maps, and microfilm rolls.

This unprecedented modernization effort ensures the long-term preservation, security, and accessibility of Cook County land records, allowing residents, researchers, and professionals to access critical historical documents more efficiently while safeguarding them for future generations.

Technology Innovation & Cost Savings

The Clerk’s Office earned a 2025 National Association of Counties (NACo) Innovation Award for the development of the Clerk Recording System, which was built entirely in-house—saving millions in development costs. Jurisdictions within Illinois and across the country are now replicating Cook County’s model.

Additional technology advancements included the expansion of the Clerk Recording System into Vital Records and Real Estate & Tax Services, the development of a new electronic filing portal for Tax Take Notices, and the creation of new cashiering systems projected to save approximately $275,000 annually in licensing and management fees.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

On her 100th day in office, Clerk Gordon announced the appointment of the first ever Deputy Clerk of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to ensure that the Clerk’s Office remains accessible and inclusive to all Cook County residents and to implement training and policy initiatives.

As an extension of that effort, Gordon also established a first-of-its-kind Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee within the Clerk’s Office and implemented mandatory DEI training and education for department heads and managers.

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