The Electoral Services section collects and holds personal information 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.
The Electoral Services section manages the data held on the register of electors on behalf of the Electoral Registration Officer. Data held is also used for the purposes of elections and polls on behalf of the Returning Officer.
We process personal data because it is necessary to comply with our legal obligations under the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 and the Representation of the People Regulations 2001. The law makes it compulsory to provide information to an Electoral Registration Officer for inclusion in the full register.
Everyone working for Electoral Services has a legal duty to keep and process information about you in accordance with the law.
This notice explains why we ask for your personal information, how that information will be used and how you can access your records.
What information do we collect from you?
Cardiff Council collects and processes information to allow eligible electors to vote in elections.
We are required by law to provide an electoral service. In order for us to do this, you must provide your personal information to us. The law that requires us to do this is the Representation of the People Act 1983.
The information supplied or collected will be processed in line with the requirements of the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.
The information we collect and process may include:
- Basic information such as your name, address, date of birth and nationality
- Unique identifiers such as your national insurance number
- Scanned application forms and correspondence
- Notes about any relevant circumstances you may have told us
- Previous address details
- Whether you are over 76 years old
- Whether you are under 16 years old
- If you have chosen to opt out of the Open Register
- Signatures for absent vote records
- Contact details if provided
We may also require further evidence from you such as a copy of your passport, marriage certificate or driving licence to verify your identity or to accurately update the register of electors.
How do we collect your personal information?
Personal information may be collected by:
- paper form (e.g. via Invitation to Register, Canvass Communication),
- the Electoral Register,
- email,
- telephone,
- website,
- face to face (via our employees),
- other Council departments, or
- cross boundary data from the Vale of Glamorgan Council and Rhonda Cynon Taf Council
How will we use your data?
Your data will be used to update the register of electors for electoral register purposes and for use at elections.
How do we store your data?
Your data will be stored electronically on our Electoral Services Management software.
Paper copies of postal vote applications are kept for five years.
Any other paper forms or correspondence will be kept at our offices in County Hall for a maximum of one year.
Who might we share your information with?
We may share information with other departments of Cardiff Council where the information is requested for the prevention and detection of a crime. This information is requested solely to comply with the Council’s statutory requirements. The information will not be used for any other purpose. All staff who deal with this matter are advised that it is a criminal offence to disclose or make use of any information provided under the terms of their request.
The provision relating to the supply of the Register of Electors are contained within the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001. It is an offence to contravene the provisions in those Regulations. A person found guilty of such an offence is liable on a summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.
We are required to provide copies of the full electoral register to certain organisations and individuals by law. They may use it for their own reasons that are different to ours, but they still have to look after it in the same way.
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
- Jury Summoning Bureau
- Elected Representatives (MP, MEPS, Local Councillors)
- Police and Crime Commissioner
- Candidates standing for elections
- Local and National Political Parties
- Community Councils
- Police Forces, National Crime Agency
- Credit Reference Agencies
Information may also be shared with contracted printers to print poll cards, postal ballot packs and other electoral material.
We will also share data with the following companies:
National Fraud Initiative
| This authority is under a duty to protect the public funds it administers, and to this end may use the information you have provided for the prevention and detection of fraud. It may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes |
The Individual Electoral Registration Digital Service (IERDS) | 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. |
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) | Will use your information to verify your eligibility for the electoral register. They won’t use it for any other reasons and they have to look after it in the same way. |
Civica UK
| Civica print our Household Enquiry Forms and Invitations to Registers. They will use your information, but only on our instructions. They won’t use it for any other reasons, and they have to look after it in the same way we would. |
MPS Marketing Services (214kb PDF)
| MPS print our poll cards and ballot papers for elections. They will use your information, but only on our instructions. They won’t use it for any other reasons, and they have to look after it in the same way we would. |
Adaresec
| Adaresec may print our poll cards, ballot papers or postal vote mailers. They will use your information, but only on our instructions. They won’t use it for any other reasons, and they have to look after it in the same way we would.
|
Modern Democracy
| On poll day, polling staff will access the electoral register digitally using an iPad. Modern Democracy provides the software to manage the electoral register on poll day.
|
Xerox
| Xerox may print our electoral registration correspondence, such as confirmation letters, postal vote applications. They will use your information, but only on our instructions. They won’t use it for any other reasons, and they must look after it in the same way we would.
|
The Maltings | After elections our paperwork is securely stored with The Maltings for a set retention period before secure destruction is authorised
|
The Electoral Register is published once a year. When this is published the previous register is frozen and a bound copy is sent into archive. These are stored on our behalf at Glamorgan Archives.
You can visit Glamorgan Archives at:
Clos Parc Morgannwg,
Leckwith,
Cardiff,
CF11 8AW.
Inspection of the Electoral register is under supervision. They can take handwritten notes but no copies or photographs can be taken. The 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.
If you have opted to be included in the open register, by law your information can be shared with anyone who requests it. They may use it for their own reasons that are different to ours, but they still must look after it in the same way.
You can choose whether or not to have your personal details included in the open version of the register. 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.
What do we do with your information?
We use it for electoral purposes.
The information supplied and collected will be processed in line with the requirements of the UK General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018.
Sometimes we must give it to other authorities, organisations or people. This would be for the prevention or detection of crime, or to comply with a legal obligation, for example. We don't need your consent to do this, but if we can, we'll let you know if we've passed your information on.
How long do we keep hold of your information?
In order to provide you with this service, we rely on our legal obligations. The Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer are independent statutory post holders and 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.
Anyone who receives information from us has a legal duty to keep it confidential.
We are required by law to report certain information to appropriate authorities. For example:
- where a formal court order has been issued.
- to law enforcement agencies for the prevention or detection of a crime
- to the Jury Central Summoning Bureau indicating those persons who are aged 76 or over and are no longer eligible for jury service.
Postal vote applications are kept for five years. All other applications and any documents supplied as part of an application by you are kept on file for the current electoral register year. Applications in relation to previous electoral register years are archived electronically (and retained indefinitely) however paper copies are destroyed.
Your rights
You are entitled to exercise your individual rights, including access to information, correcting inaccurate information or objecting to the processing of your personal data.
Write to:
The Data Protection Officer,
County Hall,
Atlantic Wharf,
Cardiff ,
CF10 4UW
Further Information