Who will own my data once I submit it?
The Electoral Registration Officer, Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Why do you need my information?
The Electoral Registration 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 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.
The information contained on the electoral register will also be used to carry out an annual electoral canvass which the Electoral registration Officer is required to do by law.
What allows you to use my information?
We do this as a legal obligation to comply with the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 and Representation of the People Regulations 2001. This ensures you are registered to vote in any election or referendum for which you are eligible. The law makes it compulsory to provide information to an electoral registration officer for inclusion in the full register.
We keep records about potential and actual electors, voters, citizens, candidates and their agents, staff employed at an election. These may be written down, or kept on a computer.
These records may include:
- your name (or previous name), address nationality and date of birth
- Unique identifiers (such as National Insurance Number). Signatures for absent vote checking
- Scanned application forms, documentary evidence, dates of any letters of correspondence.
- Notes about any relevant circumstances that you have told us
- Your previous or any redirected address
- The other occupants in your home
- If you are over 76 or under 16/17
- Whether you have chosen to opt out of the open version of the register
- Contact details including telephone numbers and email addresses
Please note, we also have access to Council records to assist with the maintenance of the Electoral Register.
The Electoral Registration Officer processes the following special category personal information:
- Race and ethnic origin, insofar as it may be possible for this to be inferred from nationality information
- Health data – this may be contained within applications to vote by post or proxy
- Data relating to Anonymous Registration
This data will be processed in accordance with the council’s Data Protection Policy.
Who will my information be shared with?
The information you provide is held in electoral registers which are maintained by the Electoral Registration Officer who, using information received, keep two versions of the register – the full electoral register and the open (edited) electoral register.
The full electoral register lists the names and addresses of everyone who is registered to vote in public elections. The register is used for electoral purposes, such as making sure only eligible people can vote. It is also used for other limited purposes specified in law, such as:
- detecting crime (e.g. fraud)
- calling people for jury service
- checking credit applications
The full register is published once a year and is updated every month and is supplied to the following people and organisations upon written request:
- British Library
- UK Statistics Authority
- Electoral Commission
- Boundary Commission for England
- Jury Summoning Bureau
- Elected Representatives (MP, MEPS, Local Councillors)
- Government Departments or bodies
- The council
- Electoral Registration and Returning Officers
- Police and Crime Commissioner
- National Fraud Initiative
- Political Parties
- Registered Third Parties
- Parish and Town Councils
- Public Library or local authority archive services
- Candidates standing for elections
- Police Forces, National Crime Agency
- Credit Reference Agencies
We also have to disclose (share) your information with our Software providers and contracted printers.
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 out more here.
The information contained on the electoral register will also be used to produce and send poll cards, postal and proxy poll cards, postal votes, postal proxy votes, Household Enquiry Forms, Invitation to Register applications, attestations, evidence request and absent vote applications.
The open (edited) register is an extract of the electoral register, but is not used for elections. It can be bought by any person, company or organisation. For example, it is used by businesses and charities to confirm name and address details. Your name and address will be included in the open register unless you ask for them to be removed. Removing your details from the open register does not affect your right to vote.
Anyone can inspect the full electoral register
It is a crime for anyone who has a copy of the full register to pass information from this register on to others, if they do not have a lawful reason to see it.
- Inspection of the register will be under supervision
- They can take extracts from the register, but only by hand written notes
- 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
- Anyone who fails to observe these conditions is committing a criminal offence and will be charged a penalty of up to £5,000
Do I have to provide this information and what will happen if I don’t?
This information must be supplied to maintain the electoral register and for the purpose of administering an election. Failure to provide the information may result in a fine (upon conviction) of up to £1,000.
How long will you keep this data for and why?
The Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer are obliged to process your personal data in relation to preparing for and conducting elections. Your details will be kept and updated in accordance with our legal obligations and in line with statutory retention periods. Once this required period has passed, we will delete your information from our records.
How will my information be stored?
The information is stored on the Electoral Management System, supplied by Xpress Software Ltd.
Will this information be used to take automated decisions about me?
No. The information you submit in order to confirm your eligibility to be included on the electoral register is verified by The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). If this DWP cannot verify your details and we cannot confirm your residence from local record checks, we may ask for further evidence from you to confirm your eligibility.
Will my data be transferred abroad?
No
What rights do I have when it comes to my data?
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.
You have the right under the Data Protection Act 1998 (General Data Protection Regulation) to request a copy of your information and to know what it is used for and how it has been shared. This is called the right of subject access.
To request a copy of your data or ask questions about how it is used, please visit our data protection section or contact:
Data Protection Officer
Knowsley Council
Westmorland Road
Huyton
L36 9GL
Or email: data.protection.officer@knowsley.gov.uk
Who can I complain to if I am unhappy about how my data is used?
You can complain directly to the Council’s Data Protection Team by writing to: -
Data Protection Officer
Knowsley Council
Westmorland Road
Huyton
L36 9GL
Or email: data.protection.officer@knowsley.gov.uk
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office using the following details: -
The Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45
Website: www.ico.org.uk