Electoral Services Privacy Notice
Privacy statement
On behalf of the Electoral Registration Officer, the Electoral Registration Team will only use the information you give us for electoral purposes in compliance with our legal obligations, referred to below. We will look after your personal information securely and we will adhere to data protection legislation. We will not give personal information about you or any personal information you may provide to us in relation to other people to anyone else or another organisation unless we have to by law or we are authorised to do so by you.
The personal data we collect from you will be held and shared with other organisations, as set out below, so that we can comply with our legal obligations. This is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest and in exercise of official authority as vested in the
Electoral Registration Officer as set out in Representation of the People Act 1983 and associated regulations.The Electoral Registration Officer is the Data Controller.
How do we collect your personal information?
Personal information may be collected by -
- via www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
- email
- telephone
- website
- face to face (via our employees)
- other Council departments
- paper form:
- Canvass Communication Form
- Invitation to Register
- Absent Voter Application
- Change of Name form
- Opt Out request form
What information do we collect from you?
We collect your name, address, email address and telephone number. Sometimes we collect other information you may feel is sensitive to you. This might be your nationality, date of birth, national insurance number or the reason(s) why you might require a postal or proxy vote. We may require further evidence from you such as copies of your passport, marriage certificate or driving licence.
Why do we collect this information?
To allow eligible electors 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. The law that requires us to do this is the Representation of the People Act 1983.
Who might we share your information with?
Our software providers may also store your information, but only on our instructions. They will not use it for any other purpose, and they have to hold it and treat it in the same way we would. You can view their privacy information https://www.registersecurely.com/Home/PrivacyPolicy
We may share information with other departments within the Vale of Glamorgan Council where the information is requested for the prevention and detection of a crime. This information is requested solely to comply with the Council’s statutory duties. The information will not be used for any other purpose. All staff who deal with such information are advised that it is a criminal offence to disclose or make use of any information provided under the terms of their request.
The provisions relating to the supply of the Register of Electors are contained within the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001. It is an offence to contravene the provisions set out in the Regulations. A person found guilty of such an offence is liable on a summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.
We are required to provide copies of the full electoral register to certain organisations and individuals by law. They may use it for their own reasons that are different to ours, but they still have to hold and look after it in the same way.
The full register is published once a year and is updated every month and can only be supplied to the following individuals and organisations:
- British Library
- National Library of Wales
- Returning Officer for a Local Government Election
- UK Statistics Authority (Office for National Statistics)
- Electoral Commission
- Boundary Commission for Wales
- Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales
- Jury Central Summoning Bureau
- Elected Representatives (MP, MS, Members of Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament, Local Councillors)
- Police and Crime Commissioner
- Candidates and their election agents standing for elections
- Registered political parties including a recognised third party or permitted participant
- Community Councils
- Police Forces and National Crime Agency
- Public library or local authority archives service
- Government departments and other bodies
- Credit Reference Agencies
- National Fraud Initiative
To verify your identity, the data you provide will be processed by the Individual Electoral Registration Digital Service managed by the Cabinet Office. As part of this process your data will be shared with the Department of Work and Pensions and the Cabinet Office suppliers that are data processors for the Individual Electoral Registration Digital Service. You can find more information about this here:
https://www.registertovote.service.gov.uk/register-to-vote/privacy
Our printing companies will also use your information, but only on our instructions. They will not use it for any other reason, and they have to look after it in the same way as we would.
The Electoral Registration Department will review the privacy policy of any company we use for external printing before entering into a contract with them. If you would like to view the privacy notice of any current printers please e-mail electoralregistration@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk with your request and we will send you the link to the current printer’s privacy notice.
The Electoral Register is published once a year. When this is published the previous register is frozen and a copy is held in archive which is stored on our behalf at the Glamorgan Archives. Their Access Policy can be found at - https://glamarchives.gov.uk/about-us/our-policies/
You can visit Glamorgan Archives at:
Glamorgan Archives - Clos Parc Morgannwg, Leckwith, CARDIFF, CF11 8AW
If you have opted to be included in the open register, by law, your information can be shared with anyone who requests it. Individuals and/or Organisations may use it for their own reasons that may be different to ours, but they still have to look after it in the same way. The electoral register can also be viewed at the Civic Offices by anyone who requests it. Inspection of the Electoral register is under supervision. Individuals can take hand written notes but no copies or photographs can be taken of it. The information taken must not be used for direct marketing purposes, in accordance with data protection legislation, unless it has been published in the open version of the register. Anyone who fails to observe these conditions is committing a criminal offence and is liable on conviction to be charged a penalty of up to £5,000.
You can choose whether or not to have your personal details included in the open version of the register; however, your information 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.
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.
How long do we keep hold of your information?
Applications and any documents supplied as part of an application by you are kept on file for the current electoral register year. Applications in relation to previous electoral register years are archived electronically however paper copies are destroyed.
Access to previous versions of the electoral register is not permitted at the Civic Offices however old copies are kept for electoral registration purposes. Local Authority libraries and archive services may allow inspection of older versions of the electoral register.
How can I access the information you hold about me, find out further information on privacy rights, or raise a concern?
Your rights
You are entitled to request a copy of any information about you that we hold. Any such requests must be made in writing.
If the information we hold about you is inaccurate on the Electoral Register currently in force, you have a right to have this corrected and you have the right to request completion of incomplete data.
You have the right to request the erasure of your personal data in certain circumstances (‘right to be forgotten’).
You have the right to request that we stop, or restrict the processing of your personal data, in certain circumstances. Where possible we will seek to comply with your request, but we may be required to hold or process information to comply with a legal requirement.
If you are dissatisfied with how the Council have used your personal information you have a right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at casework@ico.org.uk