Electoral Registration

The purposes of the processing
Personal data we collect
Sensitive (special category) personal data we collect
Who we are
The contact details of our data protection officer
The lawful basis for processing personal data
The lawful basis for processing special category personal data
Relevant legislation
The legitimate interests for the processing
Who we share your data with
Transfers of personal data to any third countries or international organisations
How long we keep your personal data
Your rights
Your right to withdraw consent
Mailing list
Your obligation to provide the personal data
The existence of automated decision-making, including profiling
Your right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

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The purposes of the processing

Our Electoral Registration Officer collects your personal data for the purpose of registering your right to vote.  You need to be registered to be able to vote in any election or referendum for which you are eligible.  We have a duty to maintain a complete and accurate register throughout the year. We will only collect the personal data we need from you, in order to do this.

Our Electoral Registration Officer is legally responsible for protecting and processing the personal information that you provide, and is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office.

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Personal data we collect

• Name
• Address
• Dates of Birth
• Nationality
• Unique identifiers (National Insurance Number)
• Signatures (for absent vote checking)
• Scanned application forms, documentary evidence, dates of any letters of correspondence
• Notes about any relevant circumstances that you have told us
• Previous or redirected addresses
• The other occupants of your home
• If you are over 76 or under 16/17
• Whether you have chosen to opt out of the open version of the electoral register

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Sensitive (special category) personal data we collect

Not applicable.

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Who we are

Hastings Borough Council
Muriel Matters House
Hastings
East Sussex
TN34 3UY

Tel:  01424 451066

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The contact details of our data protection officer

Data Protection Officer
Hastings Borough Council
Muriel Matters House
Hastings
East Sussex
TN34 3UY

Contact our data protection officer.

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The lawful basis for processing personal data

Legal obligation: the processing is necessary for us to comply with the law.

Public task: the processing is necessary for us to perform a task in the public interest or for their official functions, and the task or function has a clear basis in law.

The law makes it compulsory to provide information to our Electoral Registration Officer for inclusion in the full register.

We keep records about potential and actual electors, voters, citizens, candidates and their agents, staff employed at an elections. These may be written down, or kept on a computer.

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The lawful basis for processing special category personal data

Not applicable. 

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Relevant legislation 

Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013

Representation of the People Regulations 2001

Representation of the People Act 1983

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The legitimate interests for the processing

Not applicable.

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Who we share your data with

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 on the gov.uk website.

The information you provide is held in electoral registers which are managed by our Electoral Registration Officer, who, using information received, keeps 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
• Local and National Political Parties
• The 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

It is a crime for anyone who has a copy of the full register to pass information from this register on to others if they do not have a lawful reason to see it.

Anyone can inspect the full electoral register:

• Inspection of the register will be under supervision. 
• They can take extracts from the register, but only by hand written notes. 
• Information taken must not be used for direct marketing purposes, in accordance with data protection legislation, unless it has been published in the open version.
• Anyone who fails to observe these conditions is committing a criminal offence and will be charged a penalty of up to £5,000.

The open register contains the same information as the full register, but is not used for elections or referendums. It is updated and published every month and can be sold to any person, organisation or company for a wide range of purposes. It is used by businesses and charities for checking names and address details; users of the register include direct marketing firms and also online directory firms.

You can choose whether or not to have your personal details included in the open version of the register; however, they will be included unless you ask for them to be removed. Removing your details from the open register will not affect your right to vote.

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Transfers of personal data to any third countries or international organisations

Any contracts with providers who might host personal information abroad have appropriate clauses to ensure adequate technical and organisational security measures are in place.

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How long we keep your personal data

The Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer are obliged to process your personal data in relation to preparing for and conducting elections. Your details will be kept and updated in accordance with our legal obligations and in line with statutory retention periods.

For information about how long we keep your personal data, please refer to our data retention policy.

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Your rights

You can find out more about each of your rights on our Your privacy page.      

You can ask for access to the information we hold on you.

You can ask to change information you think is inaccurate.

You can ask to limit what we use your personal data for.

You can object to us processing your personal data.

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Your right to withdraw consent

Not applicable.

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Mailing list 

Not applicable.

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Your obligation to provide the personal data

The law makes it compulsory to provide information to an Electoral Registration Officer for inclusion in the full register

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The existence of automated decision-making, including profiling

Not applicable.

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Your right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

The Information Commissioner is the UK's independent body set up to uphold information rights.

If you would like to know more about your rights under the Data Protection law, and what you should expect from us, visit the Information Commissioner's website.

If you have any concerns regarding our privacy practices or about exercising your Data Protection rights, you may contact the Information Commissioner's Office:

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

Tel: 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545 745
Email: casework@ico.org.uk

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