- What personal information do we collect?
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When you contact the Electoral Services Team, we are likely to ask you for certain personal information in order to be able to assist with your enquiry. Some of this information will need to be recorded and stored on our systems. The information we collect, and process may include
- Basic details about you - for example name, address, date of birth and nationality
- Unique identifiers (such as your National Insurance number and signature)
- Scanned application forms and dates and copies of any correspondence sent or received
- Notes about any relevant circumstances you have told us about
- Details and records about the service you have received
- Your previous or any redirected addresses
- The other occupants in your home
- Whether you are under 18 or over 76 9. Whether you have chosen to opt out of the Open version of the register
- The reason you require a postal or proxy vote
- Details about whether you have voted (but not how you have voted) For registration issues, we may request further information from you such as copies of your passport, driving licence or other documents.
- Why do we process personal data?
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We use your information in a variety of ways
- To process applications for registration
- To process applications for postal or proxy votes (including verification of the right to vote of potential proxies)
- To check eligibility to stand as a candidate in an election
- To check eligibility to nominate candidates for election
- For the purposes of employing staff (for both electoral registration and elections purposes) We process your information on one of the following grounds
- To comply with our legal obligations e.g. we are required by law to prepare and publish an accurate register of electors and to manage elections.
- Where necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest
- With your consent
- Who has access to your personal data?
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Sometimes, in order to enable the functions set out, we need to share the information that you give us for checking your eligibility to register, either with other departments within Runnymede Borough Council, or the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). We are also required to share your information with the Electoral Registration Officers of other Authorities if you move into or out of the Runnymede Borough area.
The full version of the electoral register must, by law, be made available for public inspection and must be provided to the bodies and individuals listed in the link below
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 DWP 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 The providers of our electoral registration and elections management systems and automated canvass response system may also process your information, but only on our instructions. They will not use it for any other reasons and are subject to the same privacy requirements as the Council. Our printing contractor will also use your information but only on our instructions and only for electoral registration and elections purposes.
Sometimes we are required by law to share information with other authorities, organisations or people. This would be for the prevention or detection of crime, or because of legal proceedings, for example. We are required by law to share the data about whether you have voted (but not how you have voted) to those entitled in law to receive this information after an election. We are required by law to share the data about who is on the register and whether they are under 18 or over 76 with the Jury Central Summoning Bureau. Unless you choose to "opt out" of your name appearing on the "open" register, it will appear on the "open" register, copies of which must, by law, be provided to any person or body on the payment of a statutory fee. Staff employed by the Returning Officer for an election may have their contact details shared with Runnymede Borough Council Officers, or other employees of the Returning Officer, in order to facilitate communication prior to and during the election, to ensure right to work checks are completed and to facilitate payments. We may also request and store name and contact information of staff's emergency contacts, for health and safety reasons. Staff employed by the Electoral Registration Officer in relation to canvassing will have their details shared with Runnymede Borough Council Officers in order to ensure right to work checks are completed and to facilitate payments. Anyone who received information from us is under a legal duty to keep it confidential
- How do we protect personal data?
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We take the security of your data seriously. The organisation has internal policies and controls in place to try to ensure that your data is not lost, accidentally destroyed, misused or disclosed, and is not accessed except by its employees in the performance of their duties. Data will only be processed by members of staff authorised by us for this purpose. Access to our systems is limited to members of the elections team whose job role requires access to the personal data.
- How long do we keep your personal data?
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Under the current legislative framework, we keep information on eligible voters for 15 years to allow us to identify overseas voter’s eligibility. This is likely to change under the second phase of the Elections Act likely enforced in January 2024.
We check every three years that the information we hold on individuals who have worked for elections and canvassing is still accurate and they want their information to be kept.
- We keep a record of the following information for 1 year.
- who has voted (not who they voted for),
- who applied for a proxy or postal vote and
- anyone who has registered or been invited to vote,
- information on those standing for election
- Your rights
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As a data subject, you have a number of rights, including access to your data. A request for access can be made via our website or by sending an email to foi@runnymede.gov.uk
Data Protection Subject Access Request(SAR) | Introduction – Runnymede Borough Council
To find out more about your rights please see the ‘Your Rights’ section of our main privacy statement
If you believe that Runnymede Borough Council has not complied with your data protection rights, you should initially try to resolve it with the relevant department.
If you are unable to resolve the issue to your satisfaction contact our Data Protection Officer (DPO) who will investigate. If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of the DPO’s review you can make a complaint to the Information Commissioner. You can find out further information on making a complaint to the Information Commissioner on their website Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)