The Putnam County Clerk is elected for a four-year term by the citizens of Putnam County and is one of three county level offices commissioned by the Governor of the State of Illinois as set forth in the Constitution of the State of Illinois. The general duties of the County Clerk are subject to the provisions of “The Local Records Act”.
The Clerk’s Division has five (5) major functions:
- Keeper of the county records and the ex-officio Clerk of the County Board. All proceedings of the County Board are compiled and kept on permanent file in the County Clerk’s office.
- The Chief Election Authority for the county. The County Clerk administers all Federal, State, and County elections. The clerk is responsible for preparing the ballots, the training of election judges, securing polling places, tallying election results, and all other election related duties. There are currently eight (8) voter precincts in Putnam County.
- Voter Registration. The County Clerk’s office processes and maintains all voter registration records. Currently, there are approximately forty-two hundred (4,200).registered Putnam County voters.
- Property Tax Extension. The County Clerk’s office accepts the filing of the annual budgets, levies, financial statements, and boundary changes for all taxing districts and calculates the tax rates and extensions for each district. The County Clerk’s office also collects all delinquent property taxes within the county.
- Vital Records. The County Clerk’s office is the depository for vital records; including birth, marriage, and death records occurring in Putnam County. You may obtain certified copies of these records according to the statutes governing vital records.
In addition, the County Clerk’s office is also responsible for:
- Filing and maintaining the county registry of Notary Public Commissions
- Issuing Marriage Licenses
- Assumed Business Name Certificate Filings
- Statement of Economic Interest Filings
- Petitions for nomination of election