Electoral Services Privacy Notice

Service being provided 

To allow you to vote in elections and referenda, in person or by postal or proxy votes, and to maintain an accurate and complete Register of Electors.

We are required by law to provide an electoral service fulfilling these duties.

Categories of personal data we need to collect

• Name
• Address including previous or redirection
• Contact Details
• Date of Birth
• Unique Identifiers - National Insurance Number
• Signatures
• Scanned application forms, documentary evidence such as copies of your passport or driving licence and any letters of correspondence.
• Notes about any relevant circumstances that you have told us
• Other occupants in your home
• If you are over 75 or under 18
• Whether you have chosen to opt out of the open version of the register
• Photograph (for Voter Authority Certificate application)

For staff employed at an election:

• Name
• Address
• Contact Details
• Financial
• Gender
• Photo identification (Passport/Driving License)

For candidates and agents at an election:

• Name
• Home address
• Place of work
• Employer details
• Details of any land owned or occupied by the candidate
• Date of birth
• Party affiliation
• Office address (for Election Agents)
• Expenditure incurred and/or donations received as declared on Candidate’s Spending returns

Categories of ‘special’ personal data we need to collect

• Political Affiliation (for candidates standing for election)
• Nationality (for all applying to register to vote and all staff)
• Health and/or disability data (where applicable for postal, proxy, and Voter Authority Certificate applications; staff employment; candidates and agents)
• Religious affiliation (for Voter Authority Certificate applications)
• Criminal records (for Voter Authority Certificate applications)

Consequences of failing to provide personal data

This information must be supplied to maintain the electoral register and for the purpose of administering an election. If you do not, you will not be able to vote in any election or referendum you are eligible to.

Data Controller and Processors

The Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer - Shane Flynn, The Guildhall, High Street, Worcester - is the Data Controller.

The Data Protection Officer for Worcester City Council can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Purpose of Processing & Lawful Basis

• Service Delivery
• Service planning/Improvement
• Prevention/Detection of fraud

Our legal basis for using your personal data is:

Performance of a task carried out in the public interest and compliance with a legal obligation as set out within the following legislation:

• Local Government Act 1972
• Representation of the People Act 1983 (as amended)
• Representation of the People Act 1985
• Representation of the People Act 2000
• Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000
• Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001 (as amended)
• Electoral Administration Act 2006
• Local Elections (Principal Areas) (England and Wales) Rules 2006
• Local Elections (Parish and Communities) (England and Wales) Rules 2006
• Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) Regulations 2012
• Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013Elections Act 2022
• Voter Identification Regulations 2022
• The Voter Identification (Principal Area, Parish and Greater London Authority Elections (Amendment) Rules 2022
• The Representation of the People (Postal and Proxy Voting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2023

This ensures you are registered to vote in any election or referendum for which you are eligible. The law makes it compulsory to provide information to the Electoral Registration Officer for inclusion in the full register.

Our legal basis for using your Special Categories of data is:

Substantial public interest on the basis of the above legislation.

Who we share the information with

The information you provide is held in electoral registers which are managed by the Electoral Registration Officer 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
• Worcester City 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
• Local constituency parties
• Registered political parties
• Worcestershire County Council

In accordance with law, the full register has to be made available for public inspection. We also have to disclose (share) your information with our software providers and contracted printers. They will only use it under our instruction, and for the purpose of allowing us to discharge our statutory duties. They won’t use it for any other reasons, and will securely dispose of the information once they no longer require it.

Anyone can inspect the full electoral register.

The open register is an extract of the electoral register, but it is not used for elections. It can be bought by any person, company or organisation. For example, it is used by businesses and charities to confirm name and address details.

To verify your identity, the data you provide will be shared with and processed by the Cabinet Office via the Government Digital Service.

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 and the ERO Portal.

Any contact details you provide us with during any interaction with us will be securely stored, and will not be passed on to anyone else. We will only use it to contact you regarding your entry on the Electoral Register.

The Returning Officer is legally obliged to publish information required by law in the form of public notices and to make certain forms submitted by candidates and agents available for public inspection.

The Returning Officer makes certain personal data about staff employed at elections available to Wychavon District Council for the purpose of paying staff.

How long we hold your information

We will only keep your information for the minimum period necessary. The information outlined in this privacy notice will be kept in accordance with our retention schedule. All information will be held securely and destroyed under confidential conditions.

Individual Legal Right

Our use of your data will be subject to the following legal rights:

• Your Right to be informed
• Your Right to Access your personal data
• Your Right for us to rectify your personal data
• Your Right to object to how we use your personal data

Individual right to complain to the Information Commissioners' Office

If you have any worries or questions about how your personal information is handled please contact our Data Protection Officer via

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,

Phone: 01905 722233

Postal Address:

Data Protection Officer
Worcester City Council
The Guildhall
High Street
Worcester
WR1 2EY

If you still have concerns following our response you have the right to raise the matter with the Information Commissioner’s Office:

Postal Address:

Information Commissioner's Office,
Wycliffe House,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow,
Cheshire,
SK9 5AF