Individual Electoral Registration – changes voting registration

ruffy

burgensteen wrote: »

Just got my letter today saying ("currently you are listed on the open register"). I have never been asked or agreed to my personal information being held or sold for any other purpose than electoral register!!! which begs the question is this legal?, if so how?
Can I demand a breakdown of the organizations that bought my information and when under the freedom of information act (as it is my information being sold) + If I opt out what happens to the information that has already been sold.

Apologies if it seems a bit dramatic but I never give my information to anyone so who the hell are these people to hold and sell my information without my permission.

Thanks for any nfo

Strangely enough I had the same happen to me! Due to my job, I cannot have my details visible on an 'open' register, so have always been on the edited register (I thought this would be better than getting myself and my family as anonomous voters and the hassle this causes with credit etc).

Suddenly, the letter appeared saying I was on the open register! I would love to know why someone decided they would change my status, and hope that the register has not been sold on to an online company that publicises peoples name, address etc as I really wouldn't want to be found online by 'clients' as it could cause issues with my family's safety!

patanne

Our first letter said we were on the open register (we have never been on that for over 20 years). Some days later we got another letter apologising that we had received the wrong letter and WERE actually on the edited register. So it may be a good idea just to check to see if they have done the same thing.

Electoral_Commission

Somerset wrote: »

I know you are toeing the party line here, but can you be absolutely precise please.


''may be refused''

The dob and NI number is either an absolute requirement or not. MAY implies the registration CAN be accepted without this information being supplied. So is it an absolute requirement or not and WILL refusal to supply said information DEFINITELY result in a fine ?


In other words is optionality and convenience being falsely presented as a requirement ?

Hi Somerset,

An applicant is legally required to provide their national insurance number and date of birth as part of an application to register. This is in order to prove they are who they say they are.

In certain limited circumstances, for example where an elector does not have a National Insurance number, electors will be required to provide evidence of their identity (i.e. a passport or driving licence) as an alternative means of proving they are who they say are.

If your local authority has invited you to register to vote it is important that you respond. If you don’t they must send you out reminders through the post and someone will visit your home. At the end of this process they may send you a requirement to register, if you fail to register without providing adequate reason why you have not, you may be fined £80. The decision on whether to impose a fine will be with your local authority. Not being registered can also impact on applications for mortgages or mobile phones, since credit reference agencies use the register to validate applications.

Thanks,

Electoral Commission

Electoral_Commission

Lakeuk wrote: »

Got my letter from the local council saying they've moved me to the new system with them highlighting that with their open register they'll be able to sell the details on, I'd prefer not to be on the receiving end of marketing rubbish from companies buying my name/address, but if I have myself removed does it mean credit agencies don't get this data and hence potentially could hit my credit rating score - would seem no positive outcome which ever way your go :eek:

Hi Lakeuk,

Credit reference agencies use the full electoral register to verify a person’s details. If an elector opts out of the open register this would not affect their credit rating. The open register is not used by credit reference agencies to verify a person’s details.

Thanks,

Electoral Commission

Electoral_Commission

humzan wrote: »

This is a question for Electoral Commison, I contacted my local council and gave them my DOB & NI number.

They said they will check this and get back to me.

I asked that they remove my NI number from their records after info been checcked as they shouldnt have this. They refused-are they able to do this?

Hi Humzan,

Where the application is made online, the local authority do not receive the national insurance number. Where it is a paper application, the authority must legally redact the national insurance number within 13 months of the application. It is not recorded on the electoral register and will not be disclosed.

Hope that helps.

Thanks,

Electoral Commission

Electoral_Commission

burgensteen wrote: »

Just got my letter today saying ("currently you are listed on the open register"). I have never been asked or agreed to my personal information being held or sold for any other purpose than electoral register!!! which begs the question is this legal?, if so how?
Can I demand a breakdown of the organizations that bought my information and when under the freedom of information act (as it is my information being sold) + If I opt out what happens to the information that has already been sold.

Apologies if it seems a bit dramatic but I never give my information to anyone so who the hell are these people to hold and sell my information without my permission.

Thanks for any nfo

Hi Burgensteen,

Before November 2001 the full electoral register could be sold to anyone for a fee. A ruling by the high court resulted in a change the law on the use of personal information on the electoral register.

The high court ruling confirmed that it was unlawful to sell copies of the register to private businesses without giving people a choice not to have their information used in this way.

The open register (also known as the edited register) has been in place since 2002.

Since 2002 electors have had to make a choice about whether to opt-out of the open register (previously referred to as the edited register). All households were sent a canvass form every year listing everyone who was registered. Each person on the form had to make their choice every year and tick a box on the form if they wanted to opt out of the edited register.

From now on, your open register choice will continue until you tell us that you wish to change it (unless you change address – then you would have to make a fresh registration application and open register choice).

If you were on the open register before, anyone who has already bought the open register will have those details.

Thanks,

Electoral Commission

Nick_C

Can I just say thank you to the EC for clarifying the issue on storing National Insurance numbers. My initial concern and reason for posting on this thread was because I assumed that local councils had secretly obtained NINos from HMRC/DWP. I am glad this is not the case.

The old system was wide open to abuse. A dishonest householder could formerly make a return including fictitious names, or omitting people at the property who should have been registered. Verifying the registration form and introducing personal responsibility for registration is a sensible move.

Equally, the actual process of applying for a ballot paper is entirely on trust. You simply go to the polling station, tell them your address, and state your name. If you are on the register, and the register has not been marked to show you have already voted, you will be given a ballot paper. The current safeguard is meant to be that you have to audibly state your name to the poll clerk, who then audibly repeats it. If another person in the room hears the name and knows you are not that person, you could be challenged. That system has worked well, and may well have been fairly robust in the days when we all lived in real communities and knew our neighbours. Nowadays, most people have photo ID available in the form of a driving license or passport, and being required to show appropriate ID when applying for a ballot paper makes perfect sense. Although proven electoral fraud is rare, suspicions run high that that more fraud exists than is proven. Putting measures in place to minimise the opportunity for fraud is prudent.

Apart from being illegal, it also anti social to attempt to avoid registering to vote. It increases the cost of administering the registration process, which we taxpayers pay for. It distorts population statistics, which can cause an unfair distribution of funding to local councils. It reduces the pool of potential Jurors. The "closed register" gives adequate privacy.

Eco_Miser

Nick_C wrote: »

Nowadays, most people have photo ID available in the form of a driving license or passport, and being required to show appropriate ID when applying for a ballot paper makes perfect sense.

Most people is not all people. Driving licenses are only issued to those who have proved themselves competent to drive, and passports are normally only issued to those who wish to travel abroad. Requiring one of those documents to be able to vote would disenfranchise me, unless I paid a considerable sum for a passport which I don't want for its intended purpose.

It is also introducing a National Identity card by the back door.

usefulmale

Nick_C wrote: »

Apart from being illegal, it also anti social to attempt to avoid registering to vote. It increases the cost of administering the registration process, which we taxpayers pay for. It distorts population statistics, which can cause an unfair distribution of funding to local councils. It reduces the pool of potential Jurors. The "closed register" gives adequate privacy.

Can you explain why it is anti-social? I am a competent grown-up. If I don't register to vote, that affects me and me alone. Nobody else. If, as a competent grown-up, I decide I am missing out I can opt in anytime I like. Not registering does NOT distort population statistics. That is what the census is for. There cannot be 'adequate privacy' if you are required to present your personal numbers, that must be deleted 13 months down the line. After they have matched your details, your NI number should be deleted in 13 seconds.

At the end of the day, it is just another tracking database, solely for the benefit of the parasitic CRAs.

I will NOT hand over my DOB or NI number. I will take the fine every time.

KittaKatta

Hi, my husband has always opted out of the register. Several weeks ago (before we received the letter) we however realized that his details are now available on sites such as 192.com :eek:. They were not before. The letter he received mentions that the details are not on the open register. How can we ensure that they are also not visible on such sites? We originally contacted the council but never received a reply.
Thank you for any tips!