Will County Gazette

Longtime Will County Clerk Nancy Schultz Voots says she's been fortunate enough to fall in love twice.

“I’ve had two loves in my life, my family and my career in the county clerk’s office, and now it’s time to put my family first,” Voots said in a statement.  “… I made my final decision in May after the birth of our granddaughter Ivanna Belle, as our only son and his wife live in Minnesota. I’ve been a full-time county clerk for many years and now it’s time for me to be a full-time grandmother there too. I’ve had a good run, but life is just too short.”

Voots will retire in December, a year after her husband, Steve, did the same from his IT job at Caterpillar.

Will County Clerk Nancy Schultz Voots | https://www.thewillcountyclerk.com/

“It’s a bittersweet decision since I truly love my job leading the clerk’s office,” Voots said in her statement. “… I administered or helped administer, every federal, state, and local election in Will County for more than 40 years.”

Voots began working at the clerk’s office in 1975 while she was still in high school and was offered a full-time job after she graduated, the Chicago Tribune reported. She advanced through the ranks of the office and has served as Will County clerk for four terms.

Voots's retirement opens the seat for the 2018 election. Candidates will begin gathering signatures for their nominating petitions in early September to allow them to take part in the March primaries.

Speaking to the Tribune, Voots said she considers herself a straight-shooter who has tried to treat everyone fairly, and said she would not try to influence the upcoming election.

“I am proud of the many accomplishments my staff and I achieved over the years as we’ve exceeded all my expectations,” Voots said in her statement. “I’m especially proud of implementing a new optical scan election system with equipment for the disabled allowing them to vote independently for the first time.”

Voots and her husband will move to Minnesota to be closer to her son and grandchildren, she said. 

“I’d like to thank my excellent, dedicated, and hardworking staff in the county clerk’s office,” Voots said in her statement. “Together we’ve always made it a top priority to treat the public with great service and respect.”