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Privacy Notice - Returning Officer

Angela Hutchings is formally appointed as the Returning Officer (RO) and the data controller for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 2018. As data controller she registered with the Information Commissioners Officer (ICO) and the registration reference is Z8532553.

The Data Protection Officer for the RO can be contacted on DPO@Rochford.gov.uk

Why do we need your information? (The purpose and lawful basis for processing data)

In accordance with Article 6 of the GDPR, the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest (administering of elections) and exercise of official authority vested in the RO (or relevant designation) as set out in the Representation of the People Act 1983 and associated regulations.

What information we are collecting?

  • Name(s)
  • Current address(es)
  • Previous address(es)
  • Alternative postal address
  • Date of Birth (DOB)
  • Elector number
  • Method of voting (polling station, postal, proxy or postal proxy)
  • Voting franchise (for example, local elections only)
  • Signature or information indicating why you are unable to sign in a consistent manner
  • Whether you voted in a particular election/referendum, the method by which your vote was cast (for example, at a polling station or by post) but not how or for whom you voted.
  • If you are a proxy voter, details of your appointed proxy
  • If you have been appointed as a proxy to vote on another elector’s behalf.
  • Candidate’s description – registered political party
  • Candidate’s description – no party affiliation 
  • Description and address of land/ premises owned or rented by candidate (LocalGovernment Election)
  • Candidate’s place of work and employer (Local Government Election)
  • Parliamentary Constituency or if address outside the UK, the Country a candidate resides in (UK Parliamentary election)
  • Whether you are a polling station voter with a disability who is assisted by a companion
  • Expenditure incurred or donations received as declared on Return of Candidate’s Spending
  • If you are proposing, seconding or assenting to the nomination of a Candidate
  • If you have acted as a witness to a Candidate’s consent to nomination
  • If you are designated as a Candidate’s guest at a verification or count

How is it being collected? 

  • Residents in the Rochford electoral area
  • Registered electors and their appointed proxies
  • Candidates
  • Election Agents
  • Counting Agents
  • Postal Voting Agents
  • Polling Agents
  • Electoral Registration Officer for the Tendring District
  • The Electoral Commission
  • Rochford District Council
  • Returning Officer’s Staff
  • Registered Political Parties
  • Local Constituency Parties
  • Parish Councils
  • Other Returning Officers (or equivalent designations)
  • Elected representatives

How will it be used? 

The Returning Officer is obliged to process your personal data in relation to preparing for and conducting Elections.

Who will the information be shared with?

  • Returning Officer Staff
  • Registered political parties
  • Elected representatives for the Tendring electoral area
  • Rochford District Council
  • Candidates and appointed Agents for the Tendring electoral area
  • Acting Returning Officer (ARO) for Harwich & North Essex Parliamentary Constituency
  • Police Area Returning Officer (PARO) for the Eastern Region
  • The Electoral Commission
  • Electoral Management Software Supplier
  • Contracted Electoral Print Suppliers
  • Home Office
  • Police
  • Any individual appointed as your proxy/postal proxy
  • Other residents at your registered address
  • Anyone assisting you in submitting or completing an application to register to vote or for a postal or proxy vote

Retention Period of the data 

Your details will be kept update and in accordance with our legal obligations and in line with statutory retention periods.

The GDPR/Data Protection Act 2018 allows you to find out what information is held about you on paper and electronic records.  In order to do this you can submit a subject access request to the Council’s Data Protection Officer.  This service is free of charge.

In some circumstance where the information provided may be restricted, for example, where it contains confidential information about another person, where it will cause serious harm to your or someone else’s physical or mental well-being or if the information we give you may stop us from preventing or detecting crime.

In addition, you have the following rights:

  • Ask for information to be changed if it is factually inaccurate
  • Ask for information to be deleted in certain circumstances such as the purpose for which the  information was provided in the first place is no longer relevant, where you withdraw you consent (unless there is no other legal reason for us to use it), we are legally required to deleted information.
  • Ask for the information to be transferred back to yourself or another service provider.  This only applies if we are using your information with consent and not if we are required by law to do so or if a decision was made by a computer and not a human being.