Electoral Services Privacy Notice

As a public authority, the council takes your rights and freedoms seriously and will only release information when required under law or with your consent.  Further information about your rights, how to contact the Data Protection Officer, how long information is held or how we process your personal information can be found at the Privacy webpage.
 

Information we may collect, and why

We collect the information about people as set out below, to enable us to carry out specific functions for which we are responsible and to provide you with a statutory service. Anyone to whom we disclose your information has a legal duty to keep it confidential.

Potential and actual electors

We collect this information so that we may, based on your nationality, include your name on the electoral register so that you are able to vote:

• name
   
• address and postcode
   
• telephone details
   
• email address
   
• other information, which may include:  date of birth and nationality, unique identifiers (such as your National Insurance number)
   
• scanned application forms and letters of correspondence
   
• notes of any relevant circumstances, such as information you may have told us and details of the service you have received
   
• previous or any redirected address
   
• names and nationality of other occupants of your home
   
• if you are over 76 or under 16/17/18 years of age
   
• whether you have chosen to opt out of the open version of the electoral register*

If your name and address are in the open version of the electoral register, they can be sold to third parties who may use it for any purpose.  You can opt out of this version of the register at any time and are given the opportunity to do so each year as part of the canvass of all households.

How long do we keep this information for? 

Your details will be kept and updated in accordance with the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) and Returning Officer's (RO) legal obligations in line with statutory retention periods. 

When do we share your information?

Occasions when electors' information needs to be shared, and who it is shared with, include the following.

Annual data match

From June 2020, on an annual basis, the electoral register will be matched with Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) records to return information to the ERO to indicate if there is a change or no change to household composition each year

The data that will be shared:

• elector full name
• elector date of birth
• address and postcode
• unique property reference number

The ERO will use the match rate data to determine the appropriate annual canvass communication route for each property.
 

• 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 service on the Register to vote site privacy notice. 
   
• To inform the previous local authority of people who have moved area
   
• With law enforcement agencies, for the prevention or detection of a crime
   
• With the Jury Central Summoning Bureau, to indicate those persons who are aged 76 or over and who are no longer eligible for jury service
   
• When obtaining IT support from the Council's ICT Service or from the contracted electoral database supplier
   
• When printing your poll cards, postal vote packs and other electoral material, in which case your information is shared with the council's print and mail service staff, contracted printers and the Electoral Registration Officer or Returning Officer's staff
   
• When instructing appointed canvassing staff to follow up non-responding households to the canvass form, or to follow up non-responding individuals to invitations to register
   
• In making available for public inspection the electoral register: the electoral register is a public document which can be viewed only by attendance in person, under strict control
   
• With candidates standing for election
   
• With local and national political parties
   
• With local parish and town councils

A Memorandum of Understanding/Data Sharing Agreement on Data Protection (Controller to Processor) has been entered into by the ERO with the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) for the Government department to process personal data using the Electoral Registration Officer Portal (EROP) covering 3 services: application of Voter Authority Certificate, Online Absent Vote Applicants and applications to register as an Overseas Elector. Such changes have been introduced by the Elections Act 2022. 

Voter Authority Certificate applications

From 16 January 2023, electors can request via the ERO Portal a Voter Authority Certificate (VAC) if they have no suitable photo identity that will be needed for voting as from May 2023. The ERO will see the following personal information in order process and determine an application:

• applicant's name (Forename, middle name, surname)

• date of birth

• address

• postcode

• National Insurance number ("NINO")

• photograph (recent) - electronic (online) or hard copy

• required technical data such as IP address, 

• phone Number (optional)

• email address (optional)

• cookie / behavioural tracking data

• the ERO is the data controller, with the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) providing the Portal access and will be a data processor.  The ERO will manage the data on the Portal.

• the ERO portal is a processing tool, and the VAC preparation, printing and dissemination a service, provided by the DLUHC, so that the ERO can provide the VAC service required by legislation (the Elections Act 2022).

• via the portal, the elector can upload documentary evidence if they have not provided a NINO for the ERO to determine the identity of the applicant. This will be in document format and can include:

  • birth, marriage, civil partnership or adoption certificate

  • firearms certificate (granted under the Firearms Act 1968)

  • bail decision record

  • mortgage or pension statement

  • bank, building society or credit card statement, or account confirmation letter

  • utility bill

  • Council Tax statement or demand

  • current or previous employer's P45 or P60

  • benefits or entitlement statement, including:

    • Universal Credit

    • Disability Living Allowance

    • Personal Independence Payments

    • any other state benefits

• For the printing and distribution of the VAC, personal information relating to applicants will be shared by the ERO to the print supplier, namely:

  • applicant's name (Forename, middle name, surname)

  • address

  • photo image

• Personal data will be redacted in accordance with data retention policies. Approved applications will be kept along with supporting evidence for 30 days and then personal information data will be redacted from the Portal leaving transactional data being held for 10 years

Online Absent Voter Applications (OAVA)

From 31 October 2023, electors can apply for an absent vote (postal or proxy) online via the Government's Online Absent Vote Application (OAVA) service and this will make use of the automated DWP NINO identity check process of the applicant. In some instances where a NINO has not been provided, processing for the purposes of the identity check may include the applicant uploading documentary evidence from the following list, as prescribed by law:

• birth certificate
• marriage or civil partnership certificate
• adoption certificate
• firearm certificate
• UK-issued Driving licence
• police bail sheet
• financial statement
• mortgage statement
• bank or building society statement or letter confirming account
• credit card statement
• pensions statement
• Council Tax demand letter or statement
• utility bill
• P45 or P60 issued by employer/former employer
• statement of benefits or entitlement to benefits

Personal data collected from electors will include:

• applicant's name (Forename, middle name, surname, previous name where provided)
• date of birth
• registered address
• delivery address (optional)
• National Insurance number ("NINO")
• signature
• proxy name
• proxy address
• proxy contact details (optional)
• required technical data such as IP address
• phone number (optional)
• email address (optional)
• cookie / behavioural tracking data

Overseas Elector applications

As from January 2024, eligible electors who reside abroad can apply to register to vote via the EROP.  The overseas electors register will use the automated DWP NINO identity check process.

In some instances where an applicant has been unable to evidence previous electoral registration at the address specified, processing may include checks of DWP records for previous residency at the specified address.

If overseas applicants were never registered in the UK before they left the country, they will be applying in respect of their previous residence. In this instance, they will be able to upload documents to demonstrate their connection to their previous address.

If overseas applicants were under 18 when they left the UK, they may provide evidence of their connection to a parent or guardian at the point of application, such as a birth or adoption certificate.

Types of personal data collected will be as listed above for a Voter Authority Certificate or Absent Vote application but with the addition of "previous address".  No photograph or signature will be collected from overseas applicants seeking to register.

Where a NINO cannot be provided, the applicant will be offered the ability to upload documentary evidence in order to support their identity, as set out above.

When applying to vote as an overseas applicant, the applicant may upload other evidence to support where they were last registered or resident and this includes:

• letter from His Majesty's Revenue and Customs
• council tax demand letter or statement
• rent book issued local authority
• statement of benefits or entitlement to benefits
• letter from DWP confirming entitlement to state pension
• letter from a school, college, university or other educational institution confirming attendance or offer of a place
• letter from Student Loans Company
• official copy of land register entry or other proof of title solicitor's letter confirming purchase of, or confirmation of, land registry registration
• bank or building society passbook or statement, or letter from bank or building society confirming opening of account
• credit card statement
• utility or mobile telephone bill
• letter from insurance provider

If an overseas applicant was too young to be registered when they left the UK, they will provide the name of a parent or guardian at the point of application, which may then undergo register checks. The applicant will be required to supply evidence of their connection to that individual, which may include providing a birth certificate or an adoption certificate.

Register data to third parties

The ERO is legally required to:

• to share specific information with Registered Credit Agencies upon request - statutory charge applied
• to share specific information internally with other Uttlesford Council service areas for the purposes of security, law enforcement and crime prevention
• to supply specific information on subject with other Government Departments, local authorities and other agencies i.e. Police for the purposes set out above

Candidates and potential candidates at elections and their agents

We collect the following information so that we may prepare elections notices, ballot papers and records, and communicate with you as part of the administration of elections:

• name
   
• address and postcode
   
• telephone details
   
• email address
   
• membership of political party
   
• other details such as letters, emails and notes in relation to your involvement and role in an election
   
• reports of declarations of results
   
• declarations of Registerable interests and acceptance of office forms of elected representatives
   

Staff employed at elections or for the canvass

We collect the following information so that we may appoint, train, communicate with and pay you as part of the administration of elections or the annual canvass to update the electoral register:

• name
   
• address and postcode
   
• telephone details
   
• email address
   
• other details such as letters, emails and notes in relation to your involvement and role in an election or the canvass
   
• tax code
   
• eligibility to work in the UK
   
• bank details for payment
   

Suppliers of any service for which payment is required

We collect the following information so that we may make arrangements for supply of goods and/or services in relation to the administration of elections, such as the owner or caretaker of a building used as a polling station or count venue; the Head Teacher or administrator of a school used as a polling station or count venue, the suppliers of mobile polling stations; other suppliers: 

• name
   
• address and postcode
   
• telephone details
   
• email address
   
• other details such as letters, emails and notes in relation to your involvement and role in an election
   
• bank details for payment