Running electoral registration - Scotland

You and any depute or other person appointed to assist you must not supply copies of, disclose information from or make use of information contained in the records of issued Voter Authority Certificates and Anonymous Elector’s Documents.

In addition, you may not use information supplied in an application for a Voter Authority Certificate or Anonymous Elector's Document, such as a National Insurance number, to complete a registration application.1

The only exceptions, where you may disclose information, are:

• where you are required to do so by order of any court or tribunal2  
• to a relevant officer for the purposes of a relevant election or petition (as the case may be)3
• upon request by any police force in Great Britain, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, or the Police Service of Northern Ireland (Reserve), any body of constables established under an Act, or the National Crime Agency.4  

Where a request is made by any police force in Great Britain, the Police Service of Northern Ireland or the Police Service of Northern Ireland (Reserve), any body of constables established under an Act, or the National Crime Agency for any issued document record entry relating to an Anonymous Elector’s Document this cannot be supplied unless the request is made in writing by an officer of a rank senior to that of superintendent or in the case of the National Crime Agency, the Director General of that Agency.5

If a record is supplied upon request to a constable, officer or employee of any police force in Great Britain, the Police Service of Northern Ireland or the Police Service of Northern Ireland (Reserve), any body of constables established under an Act, or the National Crime Agency any of the forces or organisations, they must not supply to any person a copy of the record, disclose any information contained in it, or make use of any such information otherwise than for the purposes of the prevention and detection of crime and the enforcement of the criminal law.6   

Each person with access to these records or who is supplied with a copy of the information from these records must take proper precautions for its safe custody.7  

Anyone who fails to comply with these requirements may unless they can show they took all reasonable steps to comply, be found guilty of an offence on summary conviction, the penalties for which are:8  

• in England and Wales, a fine 
• in Scotland a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum