Elections privacy notice

This privacy notice is published in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) which formally came into effect on the 25 May 2018.

The notice provides general information on the way in which the personal information you provide is managed and processed by the Electoral Registration Officer (the ‘data controller’).

The data controller and contact details

The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) is the data controller for the personal data you provide.

If you wish to exercise any of your data protection rights or to raise any concerns you may have regarding your personal data, please email freedom@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk, call 01636 655216 or write to Information Governance Officer, Newark and Sherwood District Council, Castle House, Great, North Road, Newark Notts NG24 1BY.

Information we collect about you

We may collect and process the following data about you:

  • information provided voluntarily by you for the purposes of registering to vote
  • information that you provide when you communicate with us by any means such as email, letter or telephone call
  • information collected using cookies on your computer about how you browse our website

Use of your personal data

The information you have provided to the ERO will be used by the ERO in adherence with statutory obligations, including enforcement action if required.

The ERO is legally able to process your personal data:

  • when you have freely and explicitly provided your consent to this processing
  • when the ERO has a statutory duty to collect and process this information to provide the required service or undertake a statutory function
  • when your personal data forms part of a contract between you and the ERO

The consequence of you not providing personal information to the ERO is that the ERO will be unable to process your vote.

Sharing of personal data

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 more information about this sharing of your data on the government website.

The personal information you provide will not be shared for any other purpose unless required by law, to prevent or detect crime or to protect public funds.

The ERO must also make public certain details in the form of a public register where there is a statutory obligation to do so.

The categories of organisations we may share your personal information with are:

  • statutory and other public bodies
  • the Returning Officer
  • credit reference agencies

Protecting your personal data

Your unpublished personal data will be kept secure by the ERO and will be kept within the European Economic Union (EEU).

Where the ERO uses a third party to store your personal data and it is stored outside of the UK/EEU, the ERO will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to keep your personal data secure.

Keeping your personal data

The ERO will keep your personal data in accordance with the Council’s retention schedule, unless you explicitly request it to be removed. This right to have your data removed is not an absolute right, for example, we will need to retain your data if this information forms part of a statutory or legal obligation, public registry or an existing contract.

Further details of our retention periods can be viewed in our RPSI Information Asset Register [76kb]

What are cookies?

The Council website puts small files (known as ‘cookies’) onto your computer to collect information about how you browse the site. Cookies are used to:

•           measure how you use the website so it can be updated and improved based on your needs

•           recognise the browser you use

•           track new and returning users

Find out more about the cookies we use on this website

You can disable cookies but this may have an impact on your experience when using the Council’s website.

Find out more about how to manage cookies from your browser on the About Cookies website.

Advice on cookies from the Information Commissioner's Office



 

Your responsibilities

Only provide personal information pertinent to its intended use or for the purpose of processing a claim, application or notification for statutory requirements (electoral roll, council tax assessment, rent registry).

Tell us as soon as possible if any of the personal information you have provided has changed, eg. your address or other contact details

Your rights

There are a number of rights that you may exercise depending on the legal basis for processing your personal data. In most cases, these rights are not absolute and there may be compelling or overriding legal reasons why the ERO cannot meet these rights in full. This will be explained to you in more detail if you contact the ERO to:

  • request a copy of the personal information the ERO holds about you
  • have any inaccuracies corrected
  • have your personal data erased
  • place a restriction on the ERO’s processing of your data
  • object to processing
  • request your data to be ported (data portability)

 

Where the processing of your personal data is based on your consent, in most circumstances you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time and the ERO will act on your instructions.

If you have any concerns about how we process your personal data or wish to discuss how to exercise your rights,  contact the Information Governance Officer using the contact details above. You also have the right to make a complaint to the Council by contacting the Customer Services team.

Alternatively, you may wish to complain directly to the Information Commissioner's Office. You can make a complaint on the ICO website, by writing to them at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF or calling 0303 123 1113.