Privacy Notice - Register to vote
What information we collect from you, what we do with it and who it might be shared with.
The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) collects your
• Name
• Address
• Nationality
• National Insurance Number (people who have moved since 2014)
• Date of birth (people who have moved since 2014 and 16/17 year olds)
• Email address (optional)
• Telephone number (optional).
• Sometimes the ERO may require extra information to verify your identity, such as a copy of your passport, marriage certificate or driving licence, or proof from your doctor or employer that you require a long term proxy voting arrangement or an emergency proxy vote.
Why do we collect this information?
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. Your nationality determines your voting rights. Your National Insurance Number and date of birth verify your identity (checked against Department of Work and Pensions database).
Who might we share your information with?
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. You can view their privacy information here.
The Department for Work and Pensions will also use your information to verify your eligibility for the electoral register. They won’t use it for any other reasons and they have to look after it in the same way. You can view their privacy information here.
If you have opted to be included in the open register, by law your information can be shared with anyone who requests it. They may use it for their own reasons that are different to ours, but they still have to look after it in the same way. The electoral register can also be viewed under supervision, but not copied, at our offices at Phoenix House by anyone who requests it.
Electoral printing companies will also use your information, but only on our instructions for poll cards and postal voting documents. They won’t use it for any other reasons, and they have to look after it in the same way we would.
We are required to provide copies of the full electoral register to certain organisations by law. They may use it for specific purposes that are different to ours, but they still have to look after it in the same way we would. These organisations are:
• The Electoral Commission
• The Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England
• The Local Government Boundary Commission for England
• The British Library
• The Returning Officer, Central Devon Constituency (Central Devon electors only)
• Office for National Statistics
• Jury Summoning Bureau
• Registered political parties, Members of Parliament, elected councillors, election candidates and their election agents (on request only)
• The Police and Crime Commissioner (on request only)
• Parish Councils (own parish only, on request)
• Any police force in Great Britain, National Crime Agency, Security Service, GCHQ and Secret Intelligence Service (on request only)
• Credit reference agencies (upon request and payment of a prescribed fee)
How long do we keep your information?
The ERO must retain a copy of each year’s electoral register as they are published documents. The ERO refers to archived registers for determining future electoral registration eligibility, for example people applying to be an overseas elector need to have been on the electoral register in the UK within 15 years. It is likely that this 15 year limit will be opened out to an elector ever having been on the electoral register in the UK. Therefore, EROs require historical electoral registers to check this.
How can I access the information you hold about me, find out further information on privacy rights, or raise a concern?
Data Protection Officer at Mid Devon District Council:
Email: DPO@middevon.gov.uk
Telephone: 01884 255255
Address: Phoenix House, Phoenix Lane, Tiverton, EX16 6PP