How your data is used in election campaigns

Candidates, registered political parties and registered campaigners can request copies of the full electoral register. The register includes the names and addresses of everyone who is registered to vote, except those who have registered to vote anonymously. They can also ask for the lists of people voting by post or proxy for the area that they are a candidate in.

These individuals and organisations can use this data to send printed materials to your address. This can include leaflets, fliers and posters. They can only use the electoral register to support their participation in the election.

Candidates, parties and campaigners must ensure that the data they have requested is kept securely.

Find out more about the electoral register

Some social media platforms and websites provide electronic tools such as cookies and social plugins, which track users’ online behaviour to build up personal profiles. Campaigners use this profile to tailor ads to your interests, and to try and influence your vote. This is sometimes called ‘microtargeting’.

If you engage with a political party or issue on social media, you may see personalised ads related to them. The ICO provides information about online campaigning practices.

Some social media and digital platforms tell you why you’re seeing a specific paid-for advert. You can do this by clicking a link on the advert, which will say something like ‘Why am I seeing this ad?’ or ‘Why this ad?’.

Some social media and digital platforms also have ad libraries. These show you information about all the adverts campaigners are running, as well as information about who campaigners are targeting with the adverts. Although each platform takes a different approach, commonly used targeting categories include gender, age and location. 

Find out more about social media and digital companies’ policies.

The ICO has information about how to protect your personal data online, including on social media sites. This will help make sure the data you share on these sites is used in the way you expect.

Data protection law

Data protection law in the UK gives everyone certain rights regarding how organisations use their personal data. All organisations, including political parties, should be transparent about why they are collecting data about you. They should only use your personal data in a fair, open and transparent way.

If you ask, an organisation must tell you whether it is using your personal data. Find out more about your right to be informed.

You can also object to receiving marketing from any organisation and to the processing of your information for direct marketing purposes. However, a candidate or political party does have a right to send a Freepost mailing. Find out more about your right to object.

Making a complaint about how your data has been handled

If you have a complaint about how an organisation has handled your information, you should firstly raise your complaint with them. If the organisation has been unable, or unwilling, to resolve your complaint, you can raise the matter with the ICO.