Councillors and Election Privacy Notice

As a local councillor, any personal information I gather or use you about you as a person living in my ward is my responsibility.

This may include your contact details (e.g. name, telephone number, e-mail address) but also more sensitive information about you, such as information about your health or ethnicity.

I do this in order to act on your behalf when dealing with your enquiry/complaint.

The legal reason for retaining your information
The law says that councillors may only gather and use information for legal reasons. The relevant reasons for us are:

Explicit consent

In asking me to act on your behalf, you have given permission for me to use and share your information.

Undertaking a task in the public interest

That your information must be used in order to undertake my role as a local member.

For sensitive information such as information about health or race, we would rely on your consent.

Sharing your information
In order to provide you with a response, your information may be shared with the Council's departments and, if necessary, with other organisations (e.g. the Health Board, Housing Associations).

Retention period for your information
I will retain details about your case for up to 18 months after the matter has been concluded, and will securely dispose of all the personal information I possess at the end of my term as a councillor (unless your case needs to be transferred to the new member - your permission will be sought to do so).

Security
I will keep your information secure at all times.

Your rights
You have the right to obtain a copy of your information. Also, under some circumstances, to rectify any inaccuracies, delete, restrict, object to or move your information.

You may withdraw your consent by informing me that you do not wish for me to process your information any longer.

Complaints
Any complaints about the how your information was dealt with should be referred to me in the first instance. If it is not possible to resolve the matter in the first instance, you may contact the Information Commissioner's Office:

Post: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Phone: 0303 123 1113

Website: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

Introduction
This privacy notice explains how the Electoral Registration Officer / Returning Officer for Gwynedd Council collects and uses personal information about you to deliver services efficiently and effectively.

We use this information to enable us to carry out specific functions for which we are responsible and to provide you with a statutory service, as set out in the Representation of the People Act 1983, Electoral Administration Act 2013 and associated regulations.

The Electoral Registration Officer / Returning Officer is the Data Controller:

Dilwyn Williams, Gwynedd Council, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 1SH

What information is recorded?
We keep records about potential and actual electors, details about those that request an election, candidates and their agents, details of those that have subscribed nomination forms, staff employed at an election. These may be written down (manual records), or kept on a computer (electronic records).

These records may include:

Basic details about you, for example, name, address, date of birth, National insurance number, contact details (email address/telephone number), signature, nationality and your previous address
Absent vote information (postal / proxy including details of your proxy and anyone who has helped you)

Scanned application forms and dates of any letters of correspondence
Notes about any relevant circumstances that you have told us
Other occupants in your home
If you are over 76 or under 16/17
Whether you have chosen to opt out of the Open version of the Register (for further information about the Open register www.gov.uk/register-to-vote)
Any further evidence we may require from you, such as copies of your passport, EEA identity card, marriage certificate or driving licence
Political affiliation

It is important that your records are accurate and up-to-date as they will help make sure that our staff are able to provide you with the help, advice or support you need. If your information is not correct, then please contact us so that we can rectify this.

What is the information used for?
We will only use the information you give us for electoral purposes. We will look after personal information securely and we will follow the data protection legislation. We will not give personal information about you or any personal information you may provide on other people to anyone else or another organisation unless we have to by law.

The Electoral Register is a public document which can be viewed by appointment only under strict control.

Your information may be shared / disclosed with the following –

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 here: https://www.registertovote.service.gov.uk/register-tovote/privacy.’
Contracted printer or supplier (processor) who act on our behalf
Registered political parties, elected representatives, town and community councils candidates, agents and other permitted participants who are able to use it for electoral purposes only
The Council
Credit reference agencies, the British Library, UK Statistics Authority, the

Details of whether you have voted (but not how you have voted) to those who are entitled in law to receive it after an election
Where the health and safety of others is at risk
When the law requires us to pass on information under special circumstances
Crime prevention or the detection of fraud as part of the National Fraud Initiative

Anyone who receives information from us has a legal duty to keep it confidential. They won’t use it for any other reasons and they have to look after it in the same way.

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

How long for?
The Electoral Registration Officer / Returning Officer is 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. The Electoral Registration Officer / Returning Officer maintains a separate document retention policy.

Special Categories of personal data
Some of the information that is collected is classified as special category personal data. This is processed for reason of substantial public interest as set out in Representation of the People Act 1983, Electoral Administration Act 2013 and associated regulations. To process this type of information we have a separate policy document that sets out how this information will be handled.

Right to Object
You have the right to object to the use of your email address or telephone contact details for the purposes of electoral registration. If you no longer want to be contacted by email or telephone you should contact the Electoral Registration Officer who is the Data Controller to unsubscribe.

Right to be Forgotten
This does not apply when maintaining the electoral register. You cannot ask for your details to be removed from old/historical registers.

Further Information
For further information and if you think there has been a breach of your rights, please contact : DataProtectionOfficer@gwynedd.llyw.cymru