Privacy Notice - Electoral Services

Please read the following Privacy Notice carefully.

The purpose of this Privacy Notice is to explain how and for what purposes we process your personal data. It applies to personal data that is processed electronically and on paper. 

Why we are collecting your data

We do this as a legal obligation to comply with the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 and Representation of the People Regulations 2001.  
Basildon Borough Council needs to collect your personal data to ensure that 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.

Information collected

• Name, address, nationality, national insurance number and date of birth

• Signature for absent vote checking

• Scanned application forms

• Notes about any relevant circumstances that you have told us

• Your previous 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.

This ensures you are registered to vote in any election or referendum for which you are eligible.

The data is collected through:

• Application forms

• Phone

• Emails

• Post

• Website.

The basis for the processing

This task is carried out because of:

• Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013

• Representation of the People Regulations 2001

• RPA 1983.

Who your information will be shared with

The information you provide is held in electoral registers which are managed by electoral registration officers who, using information received, keep two registers - the full electoral register and the open (edited) register.
The full register is published once a year and is updated every month and can only be supplied to the following people and organisations:

• British Library

• UK Statistics Authority

• Electoral Commission

• Boundary Commission for England

• Jury Summoning Bureau

• Elected Representatives (MP, MEPS, local councillors)

• Police and Crime Commissioner

• Candidates standing for elections

• Local and National Political Parties

• The Council

• Parish and Community councils

• Police Forces, National Crime Agency

• Public Library or local authority archive services

• Government departments or bodies

• Credit Reference Agencies

• National Fraud Initiative

• Electoral Registration and Returning Officers

• We have arrangements with a range of IT providers who support the Council's IT systems and services, therefore your data may be accessed by these suppliers. Where we have these arrangements there is always a contractual agreement with them to ensure they comply with the Data Protection Law

• To verify your identity, the data you provide will be processed by the Individual Electoral Registration Digital Service (IERDS) managed by the Cabinet Office.  As part of this process, your data will be shared with the department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Cabinet Office's suppliers who are data processors for IERDS.  Read the Cabinet Office's privacy policy for more about this.

• We also have to disclose (share) your information with our software providers and contracted printers.

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.

We will never sell your data, however it will be shared with third parties to:

• Comply with legal obligations and legislative requirements

• Help business partners, suppliers and sub-contractors to deliver any contract we enter with them or you

• To help if there is need of any professional or legal advice on a matter relating to you

• To help prevent fraud and/or tackle crime

• To improve and optimise the performance of our services.

However 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 can be sold to any person, organisation or company for a wide range of purposes.  It is used by businesses and charities for checking name and address details.  When you register you are automatically added to the open version of the register unless you opt out on application.  You can opt out at any time by contacting the Electoral Registration Officer.  Removing your details from the open register will not affect your right to vote.

Provide accurate information

We need to hold accurate and up to date information about you so that we can deliver appropriate services. If any of your details change, you need to tell us as soon as possible so that we can update your records.

We will not:

• Use your information for marketing or sales purposes without your prior explicit consent.

• Send or store your data abroad unless it meets the requirements of the Data Protection regulations

• Make decisions about you based on automated processing.

How long will we hold your data for?

The Electoral Registration Officer and returning Officer are obliged to process your personal data in relation to preparing for the conducting elections.  Your details will be kept and updated in accordance with our legal obligations and in line with statutory retention periods.

Your rights

You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you.  Any access requests are free of charge.
If the information we hold about you is inaccurate, you have a right to have this corrected and you have the right to request completion of incomplete data.
You have the right to ask us to erase your personal data in certain circumstances ('right to be forgotten').

You have the right to ask us to 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 need to hold or process information to comply with a legal requirement.

You can make any of these requests by:

• Email: Data Protection Officer

• Phone: 01268 533333

• Letter to:

If you are dissatisfied with how we have used your personal information, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office, by:

• Email: casework@ico.org.uk (opens new window)

• Phone: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745

• Letter to:

Further independent advice about data protection, privacy and data sharing issues is available from the Information Commissioner's Office, see:

• Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) (opens new window).