Privacy

What information do we collect from you?

The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) may collect, use, store and transfer different kinds of personal data about you which we have grouped together as follows:

• Identity data; includes first name, middle name, last name, title, nationality, date of birth, national insurance number, age if under 16/17 or over 76 and photo ID.
• Contact data; includes address, previous address, email address and telephone numbers.
• Whether you have chosen to opt out of the open version of the register
• The reason you need a signature waiver or proxy vote
• Any information contained within correspondence with Surrey Heath Borough Council

The information will be used for the administration of the electoral roll and the conduct of elections.

We use different methods to collect data from and about you including through direct interactions. You may give us your Identity and Contact details by filling in forms or by corresponding with us by post, phone, email or otherwise. This includes personal data you provide when you apply to go onto the register of electors which will enable you to vote at an election.

Purpose for which we will use your personal data

We have set out below, in a table format, a description of all the ways we plan to use your personal data, and which of the legal bases we rely on to do so. We have also identified what our legitimate interests are where appropriate.

Note that we may process your personal data for more than one lawful ground depending on the specific purpose for which we are using your data. Please email data.protection@surreyheath.gov.uk(link sends email) if you need details about the specific legal ground we are relying on to process your personal data where more than one ground has been set out in the table below.

Who we will share your data with

We may have to share your personal data with the parties set out below for the purposes set out in the table above.

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 Works and Pensions and the Cabinet Office suppliers that are data processors for the Individual Electoral Registration Digital Services. You can find more information by following this link to Register to Vote (external link).

For the purposes of managing application for Voter Authority Certificates, Online Absent Vote Application, EU Citizens voting and candidacy right applications and applications to register as an Overseas Elector, your information may be processed within the Electoral Registration Officer Portal (EROP).  As part of the applications process your data will be shared with the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) who have access to the EROP.  Any information processed within the EROP is done so strictly in accordance with Data Protection standards.

We participate in the Cabinet Office’s National Fraud Initiative which compares computer records, usually personal information, to locate data differences as these may indicate potentially fraudulent claims and payments. View further information regarding the National Fraud Initiative’s data matching exercise.

The information is managed by Electoral Registration Officers who use the information provided to create electoral registers. There are 2 types of register: the full electoral register and the open (edited) register. We share the full electoral register with outside organisations where we are required to do so by law (Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001(external link)). It is published once a year and updated every month. We are required by law to provide the register to the following:

• Credit reference agencies (Regulation 113/114)
• Courts Service
• The British Library (Regulation 97)
• Boundary Commission for England (Regulation 101)
• Political Parties (Regulation 105/106)
• Elections candidates
• Elected Representatives (MP, Local Councillors) (Regulation 103)
• Parish and Town Councils (Regulation 107)
• Office for National Statistics (Regulation 99)
• The Electoral Commission

Sometimes we are required to share information with other departments within SHBC, other Local Authorities or organisation for the prevention or detection of crime or whereby there is a legitimate interest of the subject matter.  Anyone who received information from us is under a legal duty to keep it confidential.

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

Anyone who receives information from us has a legal duty to keep it confidential and it is a crime for anyone who has a copy of the full register to share it with anyone who does not have lawful reason to see it.

Anyone can inspect the full electoral register. However, the register can only be inspected under supervision and only hand written notes may be taken. Failure to comply with these conditions is a criminal offence.

The open register is an edited version of the register, but it is not used for elections. It can be sold to any person, organisation or company for a wide range of purposes including businesses and charities. The personal data in the register must always be processed in line with data-protection legislation.

Your name and address will be included in the open register unless you ask for them to be removed. Removing your details from the electoral register does not affect your right to vote. For more information, please visit GOV.UK - Opt out of the 'open register'.

You may be able to register anonymously if you can show there is a good reason, for example if you’re concerned about your safety. Your details won’t appear on either version of the register if you register anonymously. Please contact us at vote@surreyheath.gov.uk (link sends email) if you want to register anonymously.

We require all third parties to respect the security of your personal data and to treat it in accordance with the law. We do not allow our third-party service providers to use your personal data for their own purposes and only permit them to process your personal data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions.

Transferring data outside of the EEA

We do not transfer your personal data outside the European Economic Area (EEA).

How we handle data security

We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your personal data to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a need to know. They will only process your personal data on our instructions and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality.

How we handle data breaches

We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a breach where we are legally required to do so.

How long will we retain your information for?

We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal requirements.

To determine the appropriate retention period for personal data, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal data, the purposes for which we process your personal data and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal requirements.

All records relating to the creation and publication of the electoral register are kept permanently.

In some circumstances you can ask us to delete your data.

What are my rights with regards to data?

Please see Your Legal Rights section of the main Privacy Notice.