Election reminder service - privacy collection notice 

What is the election reminder service?

The election reminder service is a voluntary and free service that is available to enrolled electors in NSW. You must be enrolled to vote in NSW to register for the service. 

The election reminder service enables you to receive an email or text message (SMS) reminding you of an upcoming local government or state election event relevant to your enrolled address. 

The election reminder service does not extend to federal elections.

A delayed or undelivered reminder is not an excuse for not voting. The NSW Electoral Commission promotes public awareness about upcoming local government or state election events via newspaper advertisements, television and radio campaigns, information seminars, content on its websites and social media.

What personal information do we collect when you register for the election reminder service?

When you register for the election reminder service, we will collect all the information you provide at time of registration, such as your: 

• Full name,
• Date of birth,
• Enrolled address, 
• Mobile phone number and/or email address.

When you register online, we will also be using cookies and keeping records of visits to our website. Please refer to our Website privacy statement for details.

If you register to the election reminder service and receive a reminder message from us, we may collect additional information including:

• whether an email or SMS was delivered,
• whether an email was opened, and
• which links were clicked on in that email.  

This messaging information is aggregated so we can identify patterns of usage and improve our services. If you interact with our website, additional click stream data may be collected.

Why do we collect the information you provide us when you register for the election reminder service?

We may use the information you provide us when you register for the election reminder service to:

• send reminders about upcoming local and state government election events, including general elections, ordinary elections, by-elections and referenda, 
• manage and improve the election reminder service,
• verify your identity and enrolment status as an elector,
• revise and update the Electoral Information Register to ensure that the information it contains is accurate. 

Data collected as click stream data and cookies when you visit our websites may be used to maintain, secure and improve our websites and enhance your experience when using them (with respect to click stream data and cookies, please refer to our Website privacy statement for details).

Who will access the information you provide us?

A limited number of NSW Electoral Commission staff and contractors will have access to the information you provide us when registering for the service (where there is an identified business need to do so).  

We engage a service provider to send election reminders by text message (SMS). If you provide us a mobile phone number at time of registration, that phone number will be provided to the service provider together with the content of the SMS you will receive (a reminder about an election event relevant to your enrolled address). The NSW Electoral Commission has in place security arrangements with the service provider including strict contractual provisions concerning the security of any personal information, how data is handled by the service provider and the destruction of data at the completion of the contracted service.

In accordance with the Electoral Act 2017, the NSW Electoral Commission may disclose details from the Electoral Information Register to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). The AEC may use your information (including your mobile phone number and/or email address) to undertake its enrolment functions. 

We will not share the information you provide us at time of registration with any other agency without your consent unless required or authorised by law for example, to other relevant investigative agencies for law enforcement purposes.

Are you required to provide us the information to register for the election reminder service?

Registration for the election reminder service is entirely voluntary. You are not legally required to register to the service or provide the information at time of registration. 

To register for the election reminder service, you will need to provide all the information that is designated as mandatory. You can choose to provide either your mobile phone number or email address, or both. 

If you are a silent elector, you will not be able to register online for the election reminder service.  If you wish to register for the election reminder service but cannot do so because you are a silent elector (or simply do not wish to do so online) contact us on 1300 135 736. 

Can you access or amend the information you provide us?

You are required by law to keep your enrolment details up to date. Updating your enrolment details will also update your enrolled address for the purposes of the election reminder service.  You can update your enrolment details on the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) website. 

If your enrolment details are already up to date but you wish to amend just your mobile phone number and/or email address for the purposes of the election reminder service, you can do so by simply subscribing again and entering your new details.

If you wish to unsubscribe from the election reminder service, you can do so by:

• selecting the option to unsubscribe at the bottom of a reminder email or text message (SMS) you receive from us, or
• returning to our election reminder service webpage, then navigating to and selecting the “unsubscribe” option, or
• by contacting us on 1300 135 736 (if you are unable to do so online or a silent elector).

Your request to update and amend your details or unsubscribe may not take effect in relation to reminder messages that have already been scheduled to be sent, this is because the timing of an election event and the scheduling of reminders may not coincide with the timing and processing of your request.

For more information on how to access and request to correct your personal information please refer the NSW Electoral Commission’s Privacy Management Plan.

Further information

Please visit our Privacy webpage for more information about how NSW Electoral Commission handles your personal information and health information. 

If you have any privacy related concerns, please email privacy@elections.nsw.gov.au. 

The NSW Electoral Commission’s head office is located at 231 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000. Our additional contact details are available on our webpage, Contact Us.