This privacy notice sets out how we process your personal information within the Elections team:

What information do we need?

We collect the following information:

  • Basic details about you, for example, name, address, date of birth and nationality
  • Unique identifiers (such as your NI number)
  • Scanned application forms and dates of any letters of correspondence,
  • Notes about any relevant circumstances that you have told us
  • Details and records about the service you have received
  • Your previous or any redirected address
  • The other occupants in your home
  • Email address and telephone number
  • If you are aged over 76 or 16/17
  • Whether you have chosen to opt out of the Open version of the Register
  • Which elections you are entitled to vote in
  • Whether you require a postal/proxy vote
  • Your signature
  • Your photograph

In addition, if you work for the Returning Officer (RO) on election duties, or the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) for registration duties, these may also include:

  • Tax status
  • Bank details
  • Details of previous employment
  • Other information e.g. whether you drive a car, where you would like to work

If you are a candidate at an election, an appointed agent at an election, or a campaigner, we may also hold these details:

  • Political party affiliation
  • Campaign group affiliation

Why we need it?

To allow you to vote in elections. We are required by law to provide an electoral service. In order for us to do this, you must provide your personal information to us.

Do we share your information?

  • We are required by law to provide copies of the electoral register to certain organisations and individuals. Details of who can be provided with this information can be found at the Electoral Commission website and includes political parties, elected representatives, candidates and agents, credit reference agencies, the Electoral Commission, the Boundary Commission for England, the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, the British Library and the Office of National Statistics.
  • The process of checking citizens’ personal identifiers to ensure eligibility for inclusion in the Electoral Register is overseen by the Cabinet Office via the IER Digital Service. You can find more information about this on the GOV.UK Register to vote - privacy notice page. 
  • The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) use registration data to verify the identity of new applicants, and the Cabinet Office will inform local authorities when people have moved out of their area. View the DWP’s Information Charter. 
  • The process of applying for a Postal Vote or a Proxy Vote is undertaken by the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government (MHCLG) via the ERO Portal. You can find more information on the GOV.UK Apply for a postal vote - privacy notice page and the Apply for a postal vote - privacy notice page. 
  • The process of applying for a Voter Authority Certificate is undertaken by the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government (MHCLG) via the Voter ID Portal. You can find more information on the GOV.UK Apply for a photo ID to vote - privacy notice page. 
  • To allow the mandatory national data matching step referred to as part of the annual canvass, the entries we hold on you on the register at the start of the annual canvass will be sent via the IER-DS and matched against data held by the DWP. We will also be data matching the entries against other data sets held by the council, such as council tax. These results will then enable the ERO to determine what canvass communication will be sent to you.
  • Anyone can inspect hard copies of the electoral register (containing information on all registered electors) held at the Torquay library under strict control. Inspection is under supervision. Handwritten notes may be made, but no copies or photographs of the register are allowed. 
  • The open register can be sold to any person, company or organisation for a wide range of purposes such as direct marketing.
  • Our software providers will also store your information, but only on our instructions. They won’t use it for any other reasons, and they have to look after it in the same way we would. View their privacy policy for more details.
  • We share your information with contracted printers and notification services to compile and manage the register, to provide online response services, to print poll cards, postal vote packs and other electoral registration and election materials.  You can view our printer’s privacy policy at CFH Privacy Policy and view our notification service’s Privacy Notice for further details.
  • Details of whether you have voted (but not how you have voted) to those entitled in law to receive it after an election
  • Staffing data may be shared with other Returning Officers and Electoral Registration Officers as appropriate. All staff details will also be shared with the payroll provider and HMRC in order to make payments.
  • Details of candidates, election agents, subscribers to nomination papers and other political campaigners may be published where the law requires us to do so
  • We are required by law to provide certain information to appropriate authorities - for example:
    • where a formal court order has been issued
    • for the prevention and detection of a crime
    • to the Jury Central Summoning Bureau those persons who are aged 76 or over and are no longer eligible for jury service
  • We are also under a legal obligation to share personal information with the Cabinet Office for the purpose of the National Fraud Initiative to assist in the prevention and detection of fraud.

What do we do with your information?

We use it for electoral purposes. We won't use it for any other purposes without your consent, or without telling you first.

Sometimes we have to give it to other authorities, organisations or people. This would be for the prevention or detection of crime, or because of legal matters, for example. We don't need your consent to do this, but if we can, we'll let you know if we've passed your information on.

Can I see my records?

The Data Protection Act 2018 allows you to find out what information is held about you, on paper and computer records. This is known as ‘right of subject access’ and applies to your Electoral Services records along with all other personal records. If you wish to see a copy of your records you should contact the Data Protection officer.

In certain circumstances access to your records may be limited, for example, if the records you have asked for contain information relating to another person.

How long do we keep your information?

For as long as we need it. Once we no longer need it, we will keep it for a set period (a retention period) but not use it. When the retention period expires we will delete your information from our records.