This privacy notice is regularly reviewed and may be updated or revisited at any time. It was last updated in January 2026. It is important that the personal data we hold about you is accurate and current. Please keep us informed if your personal data changes.
- Introduction
- What personal data do we collect?
- How we use personal data
- Legal Basis for processing
- Who do we share personal data with?
- How long do we keep personal data?
- Automated decisions
- Your rights
- Data Protection Officer.
Introduction
Our core data protection obligations and commitments are set out in Wigan Council Primary Privacy Notice.
This notice provides additional privacy information for the Electoral Registration Officer.
The Electoral Registration Officer is a personal appointment separate to Wigan Council with their own statutory functions. Their duties include:
- Publishing the electoral register
- Conducting an annual canvass
- Maintaining the electoral register through the year by rolling registration
The Electoral Registration Officer is personally responsible for ensuring that they comply with the requirements of GDPR and are the registered ‘data controller’ with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).
What personal data do we collect?
To carry out activities and obligations as an Electoral Registration Officer we process the following personal data:
- Registered and pending electors name and address
- Registered and pending electors date of birth and nationality
- National insurance numbers
- Signatures and date of birth of absent voters (postal, proxy, postal proxy voters)
- Household Enquiry Forms (HEF’s) and Invitations to Register (ITR’s)
- Notes about any relevant circumstances given by the applicant
- Previous or any redirected address
- Electors aged over 76 or under 16/17
- Overseas electors and their qualifying and overseas addresses
- Email addresses
- Telephone numbers
- Anonymous electors
- Service voters
- Location Connection voters
- Marked copies of polling station registers
- Marked copies of absent voter records
- Candidates/agents records
- Staffing detail for those employed to assist in the annual canvass.
The Electoral Register also contains the names of those registered as special category electors, except in the case of those registered anonymously, in which case it includes only an entry, without showing their names or addresses.
How we use personal data
To enable you to be on the Electoral Register and to be able to vote we need to verify your identity. All our processes are undertaken in accordance with legislation. Since June 2014, all eligible persons have been required to individually register to vote and requirements were introduced which means that a national insurance number and date of birth need to be provided. On occasions, we may also require additional evidence of identity.
To verify your identity, the data you provide will be processed by the Individual Electoral Registration Digital Service 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.
We also ask for email and telephone details as it enables us to contact you easily and quickly should we need to, but you do not have to provide this data as part of an application to register to vote.
To find out more, visit register to vote (external link).
The Electoral Register
The full register of electors contains lists the name and addresses of everyone who has registered to vote as ordinary electors. The register is used for electoral purposes, making sure only eligible people can vote. It is also used for other limited purposes specified in law:
- Detecting crime (e.g. fraud)
- Calling people for jury service
- Checking credit applications.
The full register is a public document and in accordance with law, must be made available for public inspection. Inspection is done under supervision, and those who inspect the register can make handwritten notes but cannot take copies or photographs of the register. The Open and Full versions of the Electoral Register do not contain your telephone number and/or email address.
The open register
The open register is an extract of the full register but is not used for elections. Requests to purchase the open register can be made by any person, company or organisation.
Your name and address can be removed from register; to opt out from being included in the open register you can request this by getting in contact with us.
Legal Basis for processing
The lawful basis we rely on for processing your personal data is:
- It is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority
- It is necessary to fulfil a legal obligation under the following:
- Local Government Act 1972
- Representation of the People Act 1983
- Representation of the People Act 1985
- Representation of the People Act 2000
- Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000
- European Parliamentary Elections Act 2002
- Local Government Act 2003
- Electoral Administration Act 2006
- Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013
- Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001
- Representation of the People (Combination of Polls) (England and Wales) Regulations 2004
- Business Improvement Districts (England) Regulations 2004
- Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places (Parliamentary Elections) Regulations 2006
- Local Elections (Principal Areas) (England and Wales) Rules 2006
- Local Elections (Parishes and Communities) (England and Wales) Rules 2006
- Local Authorities (Referendums) (Petitions) (England) Regulations 2011
- Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (England) Regulations 2012
- Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (Council Tax Increases) (England) Regulations 2012
- Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) Regulations 2012
- Representation of the People (Provision of Information Regarding Proxies) Regulations 2013
- Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) Order 2017.
Who do we share personal data with?
In addition to the general reasons for data sharing described in the Council’s Primary Privacy Notice, we share data with the following when required:
- 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
- Licenced credit reference agencies
- National Fraud Initiative
- Electoral Registration and Returning Officers
- The Local Authority who appointed the Electoral Registration Officer
- We also have to share your data with our software providers and contracted printers.
There may be additional bodies that we may from time to time need to share data with.
How long do we keep personal data?
We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any future legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.
We must continue to retain necessary data in accordance with our corporate records policy to fulfil legal, statutory and regulatory requirements.
Automated decisions
All the decisions we make about you involve human intervention.
Your rights
More information on how to seek advice to exercise your rights, raise a concern or complain about the handling of your personal data by the council can be found in at Wigan Council Primary Privacy Notice.
Data protection officer
If you wish to raise a concern or seek clarification about any aspect of this notice, please contact our Data Protection Officer. Please provide documents to prove your identity along with a description of your concern.
We will respond to all requests within one month.
If you are unhappy with the way that we handle your concern you may complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) (external link).
Document information
Owner: Assistant Director for Legal Governance and Elections
Author: Principal Electoral Services Officer
Version and date: V4.0 January 2026