This privacy notice relates to all electoral functions.
What information we collect
Records we hold about you can include:
- current and previous names, current and previous address, date of birth and nationality
- correspondence addresses outside the local authority
- email addresses and telephone numbers, provided by the elector
- National Insurance number
- signatures for postal vote checking
- if you are over 76, or 16 to 17 years old
- scanned application forms, documentary evidence, dates of any letters of correspondence
- your photograph for Voter Authority Certificate applications
- personal details of staff members employed by the council for canvassing, or by the Returning Officer for elections
- personal details of candidates standing for election, or of electors subscribing nomination forms
How we collect your data
We collect your data to check if you're registered to vote. This depends on your eligibility and that your registration is maintained whilst being eligible.
We use contact details provided by you, to contact you while carrying out tasks in public interest, such as the annual canvass and elections. Email addresses and telephone numbers are not required. Our communications will explain how you can opt-out of us using your details.
We use the electoral register to run elections of all types and ensure that you can cast your vote using the method you have chosen.
Why we collect your data
The Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer is a data controller and collects the personal data you provide for the purpose of registering your right to vote. You need to be registered to be able to vote in any election or referendum for which you are eligible. We have a legal duty to maintain a complete and accurate register throughout the year. We will only collect the personal data we need from you in order to do this.
This is to ensure compliance with measures contained within the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 and the Representation of the People Regulations 2001.
Who we share your personal data with
We may share your data to carry out the public task of maintaining a complete and accurate register for elections. This includes:
- to verify your identity and maintain the register, the data you provide will be sent to be processed by the Individual Electoral Registration Digital Service managed by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). As part of this process your data will be shared with the Department for Work and Pensions and the DLUHC suppliers that are data processors for the Individual Electoral Registration Digital Service
- to maintain the register we may also match your data against records held by other council services, such as council tax and benefits
- specialist print contractors will process data in order to send bulk mailings, such as canvass forms, poll cards and postal votes
- specialist software providers will, on occasion, process data on our behalf in order to carry out tasks, such as the annual canvass
- specialist scanning company will process paper forms on our behalf off-site during the annual canvass, following a strict data retention and/or destruction policy
Register access and supply
The full register is published once a year and is updated every month. Specific legislation permits the supply of the full register and updates. It may only be supplied to the following people and organisations:
- The British Library
- UK Statistics Authority
- Electoral Commission
- Boundary Commission for England
- Jury Summoning Bureau
- elected representatives such as an MP or local and parish councillors
- Police and Crime Commissioner
- candidates standing for election
- registered political parties and their local constituency offices
- parish and town councils
- police forces
- National Crime Agency
- public libraries or archive services
- government departments or bodies
- credit reference agencies
- National Fraud Initiative
All registers are supplied using secure methods of data transfer.
It is a criminal offence for anyone who has a copy of the full register to supply, disclose or otherwise make use of information in this register for any purpose other than that set out in the relevant legislation.
The full register or open register can be inspected by anyone.
Inspection of the register must be supervised, and those inspecting it may take extracts from the register, but only by hand-written notes. Information taken must not be used for direct marketing purposes unless it has been published in the open version. Anyone who fails to observe these conditions is committing a criminal offence and may incur a penalty of up to £5,000.
The open register contains the same information as the full register, but is not used for elections or referendums. It is updated and published every month and may be sold to any person, organisation or company for a wide range of purposes.
You can choose whether or not to have your personal details included in the open version of the register; however, they will be included unless you ask for them to be removed. Removing your details from the open register will not affect your right to vote.
When we supply the open register, we always send using secure methods of data transfer.
Retention period or criteria used to determine the retention period
The Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer are required to process your personal data in relation to preparing for and conducting elections. We will keep and update your details in accordance with our legal obligations and in line with statutory retention periods.
Requesting your own records
The UK General Data Protection Regulations provide you with the right to access the personal and special category data we hold about you and this applies to records held by Electoral Services along with all other personal records.