Guidance for Candidates and Agents at UK Parliamentary general elections in Great Britain

The electoral register and lists of absent voters contain people’s personal data and so their use is very carefully controlled.

You can use them to:

• complete your nomination form
• help you campaign
• check that donations are permissible

You must not release to any person any details that appear only in the full register and not on the open register which is available for general sale. You must not use the full register and absent voters’ lists for any other purpose not listed above. 

If you have supplied a copy of the register or absent voters’ lists to campaign workers, they must also comply with the requirements above.1  

You must ensure that you keep the electoral register secure and list of absent voter secure.2 Once you no longer need the register and lists of absent voters for any electoral purpose, you should securely destroy any copies supplied to you as a candidate in accordance with the Information Commissioner’s guidelines.