Service being provided
The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) and Returning Officer (RO) are required by law to:
- Maintain an accurate and complete Register of Electors, enabling those entitled to vote in elections and referendums to do so either in person or by postal or proxy vote; and
- Administer elections and referendums, including candidates, agents, staff, polling arrangements, and statutory notices.
Electoral registration and the administration of elections are statutory functions. Certain information must be provided by law, and the ERO and RO are required to process this information to meet legal duties.
Categories of personal data we need to collect
For voters, proxies, anyone assisting with an application, or anyone completing a household form
- Name (including any previous names)
- Address including previous or redirection
- Contact details (email/phone)
- Date of birth
- Unique identifiers - National Insurance number
- Signatures
- Photograph (for Voter Authority Certificate application)
- Dependants (for relevant special category registration applications)
Documentary evidence such as copies of your passport or driving licence or financial, utility, or benefit/pension documents. These documents can include:
- Gender
- Financial details
- Photographs
- Information about other occupants in your home
Persons completing an attestation on behalf of an applicant may additionally be required to provide:
- Occupation
- Elector number
Once you are registered we may keep notes about any relevant circumstances you have told us about, for example, if you prefer forms sent in an alternative format.
For staff
- Name
- Address
- Contact details (email/phone)
- Financial information
- Gender (for reporting to HMRC)
- Photo identification (Passport/Driving License)
- Vehicle details and insurance status
- Date of birth
- Signatures
We also require details of an emergency contact, who may be a dependant.
For candidates and agents at an election
- Name
- Home address
- Contact details (email/phone)
- Place of work
- Employer details
- Details of any land owned or occupied by the candidate
- Date of birth
- Political party affiliation
- Office address (for Election Agents)
- Expenditure incurred and/or donations received as declared on Candidate’s Spending returns
- Financial details at elections where a deposit is required
- Signatures
Special Category data we collect
- Political affiliation (for candidates standing for election)
- Nationality (for applicants to register to vote and for staff)
- Health or disability information (where applicable for postal voting, proxy voting, Voter Authority Certificate applications, staff employment, candidates and agents)
Criminal offence data we collect
Where documentary evidence is required by law (for example, as part of identity or eligibility checks), this may include information relating to criminal convictions or offences. This data is processed in accordance with Article 10 UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, with appropriate safeguards in place.
Consequences of failing to provide personal data
For voters, required information must be supplied to maintain the electoral register and administer elections. If it is not provided, you will not be able to vote in elections or referendums for which you may otherwise be eligible.
For staff, failure to provide required information may prevent employment at elections. Not providing contact details may prevent us from sending important election‑related communications.
For candidates and agents, failure to provide required information may prevent a valid nomination or appointment. Not providing contact details may prevent us from sending important communications, including election security guidance.
Data Controller and Processors
The Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer - Sian Stroud, 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
- Delivering electoral registration and election services
- Service planning and improvement
- Preventing and detecting electoral fraud
- Carrying out statutory public tasks and legal obligations
Lawful basis for processing personal data
The ERO and RO process personal data under the following lawful bases:
- Article 6(1)(c) UK GDPR – Legal obligation; and
- Article 6(1)(e) UK GDPR – Public task / official authority.
This processing is required by electoral legislation, including (this list is not exhaustive):
- Local Government Act 1972
- Representation of the People Acts 1983, 1985 and 2000 (as amended)
- Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000
- Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001 (as amended)
- Electoral Administration Act 2006
- Local Elections Rules (England and Wales)
- Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) Regulations 2012
- Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013
- Elections Act 2022
- Voter Identification Regulations 2022 and related Rules
- Representation of the People (Postal and Proxy Voting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2023
The law makes it compulsory to provide information to the ERO for inclusion in the full electoral register.
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.
Lawful basis for processing special category data
- Article 9(2)(g) UK GDPR – Substantial public interest, supported by Schedule 1 of the Data Protection Act 2018.
Where criminal offence data is processed, this is done under Article 10 UK GDPR, with appropriate safeguards in place.
Sources of data
- The data subject (you directly)
- Worcester City Council
- Worcestershire County Council
- Other Local Authorities
- Council Tax records
- University of Worcester
- Private HMO licence holders
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 (MPs and Local Councillors)
- Police and Crime Commissioner
- Candidates standing for elections
- Worcester City Council
- Parish and Community councils
- Police Forces and the National Crime Agency
- Public Library or local authority archive services
- Government departments and public 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 in person and under supervision at the council offices. The register does not include your email address or telephone number.
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 unless required by law. 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.
The Electoral Registration Officer makes certain personal data about staff available to Redditch and Bromsgrove Councils to allow them use of the Lone Worker system.
We may be required to supply personal data where the health and safety of others is at risk, also when the law requires us to pass on information under special circumstances, and for crime prevention or the detection of fraud as part of the National Fraud Initiative.
Candidate and agent contact details may be shared with West Mercia Police for the purposes of sharing security guidance at elections.
Staff vehicle details may be shared with relevant parking authorities (including private companies) if required to secure parking at election venues. Staff will be informed of this before the details are shared.
If we receive applications or requests for amendments from persons with an address in another local authority, we will forward these to the relevant authority.
Details of data transfers outside the UK and safeguards in place
We do not routinely transfer data outside of the UK. Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations or approved contractual clauses.
Automated decision-making
We do not carry out automated decision-making or profiling in relation to this processing.
How long we hold your information
The Council will retain electoral documents in accordance with statutory requirements and the corporate retention schedule. In general, all election documents, including candidate nomination forms and associated paperwork, are retained for a period of 12 months following the election, after which they are securely destroyed or disposed of in line with approved procedures.
Exceptions apply as follows:
- Candidate Home Address Forms are retained for a shorter statutory period and are securely destroyed after 21 days following a UK Parliamentary (General) Election and 35 days after all other elections
- Candidate spending returns are retained for one year in respect of Parish Council elections and for two years for all other elections, after which they are securely destroyed
- Historic electoral registers are retained where required for archival, evidential, or legal purposes, in line with the Council’s records management policies.
All records are managed and disposed of securely, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation, data protection requirements, and corporate governance standards.
Your rights
You have rights under UK GDPR, including the right to:
- The right to be informed
- The right of access
- The right to rectification
- The right to object to processing (in limited circumstances)
The right to erasure does not apply where processing is necessary for a public task, a legal obligation, or archival purposes in the public interest. An elector cannot request removal from the current or historic electoral registers where inclusion is required by law.
Individual’s right to withdraw consent at any time
Where personal data is processed on the basis of consent for optional, non‑statutory activities (for example, recordings made outside formal electoral duties), consent may be withdrawn at any time. This does not apply to data processed to maintain the electoral register or administer elections.
Complaints and further information
If you have questions or concerns about how your information is used, please contact the Data Protection Officer:
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 01905 722233
Address: Data Protection Officer, Worcester City Council, The Guildhall, High Street, Worcester WR1 2EY
If you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):
Website: https://www.ico.org.uk
Phone: 0303 123 1113
Address: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF
Changes to this notice
We may update this privacy notice from time to time. The latest version will always be available on our website.