Modern Polling application for polling station staff
This privacy notice applies to the Modern Polling tablet application, used in polling stations in the London Borough of Hounslow. This is used by people employed by the Returning Officer (RO) for the London Borough of Hounslow as polling station staff (Presiding Officers and Poll Clerks). This notice tells you what to expect us to do with your personal information.
If you have any questions about this privacy notice or any concerns about how we process your data, please contact 020 8583 2828 or elections@hounslow.gov.uk. The privacy notice will continue to be monitored and updated. You are advised to check this page from time to time.
What type of information we have?
The RO collects and processes the following information for the Modern Polling application:
- Names, addresses and elector numbers of registered electors
- Dates of birth of 17-year-olds on the electoral register who are due to become 18 years old during the current year
- Names, mobile phone numbers and email addresses of the staff using the Modern Polling application.
How do we get your information?
The RO received your information from the Electoral Registration Officer (“ERO”) for London Borough of Hounslow.
Applications for Presiding Officers and Poll Clerks are received via Civica's Mobile Election App (MEA) portal.
Our lawful basis for processing your information
The lawful basis we rely on for processing this information is
- Legal Obligation - Representation of the People Act 1983; The Local Elections (Principal Areas) (England and Wales) Rules 2006
- Public Task
Why we need your information (purposes of processing)
The personal data collected will be used to enable polling station staff to use the Modern Polling application to carry out the following duties on behalf of the RO:
To find a voter’s details in the polling station register after the voter has confirmed their name and home address to the Poll Clerk (PC), by either using a tablet to scan the QR code printed on the voter’s poll card or, if the voter has not brought their poll card to the polling station, entering the voter’s details in the app.
To mark the voter’s elector number against the number of the ballot paper to be issued to the voter in the Corresponding Number List in Modern Polling
For Staff members, your information is used to create a user account. This is to enable you to use the Modern Polling App on election day.
Who your information may be shared with (internally and externally)
Your information will be shared with Modern Democracy Ltd (“MD”) to enable use of the Modern Polling application by polling station staff.
How long we keep your information
The RO will download and retain a copy of the marked polling station registers and Corresponding Number Lists from an election from MD’s systems for a statutory 12-month period from the date of polling day, in case of a petition (legal challenge) to the result of the election. Once the 12 months have elapsed, these documents will be destroyed.
MD can retain your information on their systems for a maximum of one year after polling day for an election. However, The RO can require MD to remove your information from their systems at any point during this period.
Transfers to third countries
All the information you provide us is held within the UK & European Economic Area.
Your data protection rights
The rights available to you depend on our reason for processing your information. For further information about your data protection rights and how to make a request, please see ‘Your rights’ on our webpage.
Your right to make a complaint
The Council tries to meet the highest standards when collecting and using personal information. For this reason, we take any complaints we receive about this very seriously. We encourage people to bring it to our attention if they think that our collection or use of information is unfair, misleading, or inappropriate.
If you want to make a complaint you can contact us on:
Complaints Team
London Borough of Hounslow
Hounslow House
7 Bath Road
TW3 3EB
Data Protection Officer
The Council’s Data Protection Officer can be contacted on:
Email - InformationGovernance@hounslow.gov.uk
Or address listed below:
Information Governance Team
London Borough of Hounslow
Hounslow House
7 Bath Road
TW3 3EB
Information Commissioner’s Office
The Information Commissioner is the UK's independent body set up to uphold information rights.
If you would like to know more about your rights under the Data Protection law, and what you should expect, visit the Information Commissioner’s website.
If you have any concerns regarding any privacy practices or about exercising your Data Protection rights, you may contact the Information Commissioner’s Office:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545 745
Email: casework@ico.org.uk
A full list of what information we control and process and for what purposes is set out in our notification with the Information Commissioner's Register of Data Controllers. Our registration number is Z5761176. You can view our registration on the Information Commissioner's website.
Published: Friday 11 February 2022
