Electoral Registration Form

irishjohn

tony6403 wrote: »

I wouldn't bother too much over this as registered credit reference companies, who can purchase the full register , sell on the data to others.
I have written to the Electoral Commission about this. I got a reply but they admit to being unable to put a stop to this practice.

Credit Reference Companies sign a purchase agreement which forbids them from selling data which is designated full register only. They will extract data for people who are designated full and edited register and sell this data.

If you have evidence that a credit reference company has sold data which is full register only then you should contact the Information Commisioner not the Electoral Commission. The misuse of full register data would fall into the Information Commissioner brief.


Here is a link to useful information on the electoral register on the Information Commissioners website

http://www.ico.org.uk/for_the_public/topic_specific_guides/electoral_register

and here is the link to show you how to complain to the Information Commisioner abut how an organisation is managing data.

http://www.ico.org.uk/complaints/handling

keystone

SailorSam wrote: »

Why would you want to do that, so much easier and quicker to do it online.

You miss the point by about a parsec. Despite peoples assurances to the contary if OP remains unsure about what it means and how their council will handle it for the own piece of mind just tick one box, sign once and stick the piece of paper in the envelope provided. Take all of about 45 seconds. Its not worth stressing about the online stuff. Don't forget the NSA are reading that anyway.

Cheers

keystone

Yorkie1 wrote: »

Perhaps phone the council and ask.

If the electronic one is unclear why waste their and your time when the paper one is clear and can be dealt with in less than a minute?

Cheers

victor2

It appears that you can only tick the box to opt out of the edited register by sending the paper form back. This is regardless of any previous option you have indicated. Online confirmation is stated on my form as only if you have NO CHANGES.
So, even though they provide a prepaid envelope for returning the form, no prizes for guessing who ultimately pays for it.
The online system is there anyway and has got to be cheaper than snail mail. Yet we have to say every single time that we do not want our address sold to marketing companies. :mad:

jellie

victor2 wrote: »

It appears that you can only tick the box to opt out of the edited register by sending the paper form back. This is regardless of any previous option you have indicated. Online confirmation is stated on my form as only if you have NO CHANGES.
So, even though they provide a prepaid envelope for returning the form, no prizes for guessing who ultimately pays for it.
The online system is there anyway and has got to be cheaper than snail mail. Yet we have to say every single time that we do not want our address sold to marketing companies. :mad:

I've just done mine online and was able to opt out of the edited version. I have an email confirming this as well.

Must be different councils have different systems.

chrisw

I think each council must be slightly different. I did mine on an automated phone line. I could only opt out of the edited version by phone or returning the paper copy, not online for some strange reason.

victor2

chrisw wrote: »

I think each council must be slightly different. I did mine on an automated phone line. I could only opt out of the edited version by phone or returning the paper copy, not online for some strange reason.

It's not even organised chaos....

Meadows

What is the full register?
The law makes it compulsory to provide information to an electoral registration officer for inclusion in the full register. The details you are likely to have to provide are your name, address, nationality and age. The full register is updated every month and published once a year, and is used by electoral registration officers across the country for purposes related to elections. Political parties, MPs and public libraries also have the full register.
It is also used by local authorities for their duties relating to security, law enforcement and crime prevention, for example checking entitlement to council tax discount or housing benefit. It may also be used by the police for law enforcement purposes.
It can be sold to government departments to help in their duties such as the prevention or detection of crime. They can also use it for vetting job applicants and employees if this is required by law. Credit reference agencies are allowed to buy the full version of the register so that lenders can check the names and addresses of people applying for credit and carry out identity checks to help stop money laundering.
It is a crime for anyone who has a copy of the full register to pass information from this register onto others if they do not have a lawful reason to see it.
What is the edited register?
The edited register contains the same information as the full register. It is not compulsory to have your details on the edited version of the register and you will be given the chance to opt out on the voter registration form which is sent to every household in the country once a year. The edited register is updated and published once a year and can be sold to any person, organisation or company and used for any number of purposes, including direct marketing.

http://www.ico.org.uk/for_the_public/topic_specific_guides/electoral_register

victor2

Meadows wrote: »

The edited register contains the same information as the full register. It is not compulsory to have your details on the edited version of the register and you will be given the chance to opt out on the voter registration form which is sent to every household in the country once a year. The edited register is updated and published once a year and can be sold to any person, organisation or company and used for any number of purposes, including direct marketing.

http://www.ico.org.uk/for_the_public/topic_specific_guides/electoral_register

The powers that be should add a footnote to that saying that they will put you back on the junk mail list every year, regardless of what you have previously opted for.
Not only are they doing nothing to reduce the junk we receive, but they actively increase our participation in it. Got to make sure they sell off Royal Mail for a tidy profit I suppose.

tony6403

irishjohn wrote: »

Credit Reference Companies sign a purchase agreement which forbids them from selling data which is designated full register only. They will extract data for people who are designated full and edited register and sell this data.

If you have evidence that a credit reference company has sold data which is full register only then you should contact the Information Commisioner not the Electoral Commission. The misuse of full register data would fall into the Information Commissioner brief.


Here is a link to useful information on the electoral register on the Information Commissioners website

http://www.ico.org.uk/for_the_public/topic_specific_guides/electoral_register

and here is the link to show you how to complain to the Information Commisioner abut how an organisation is managing data.

http://www.ico.org.uk/complaints/handling

Look at the "people finder" type of website. Their data, which in some cases includes those who have opted out, can only be coming from one source, namely, the credit reference agencies (CRA).
I wrote to the Electoral Commission in my capacity as an electoral practitioner in order to try to get them to add more weight to the Representation of the People Regulations (RPR) - not a job for the Information Commissioner.
On a pedantic note , there is no formal agreement signed by both the CRA and the local authorities. The CRA simply write to say that they wish to exercise their right to purchase the register (and all the monthly updates) and provide a certificate to confirm that they are registered.
CRA have no right to sell any data at all under the RPR and furthermore the local authority technically owns the copyright.
But apparently nothing is done to put a stop to the practice of selling this data.
Overall not a bad deal for the CRA who typically, for an average borough, will pay about £200 for data which the local authority will have spent upwards of £75,000 to produce.
I imagine that the CRA actually make a profit from selling it on.