Local authorities are seeking extra cash from the Government to
rework their electoral roll databases following a landmark court
ruling on data protection brought by a voter last month.
The judgement, against Wakefield Metropolitan Council, will force
local authorities to recontact every resident over the age of 18
for permission to include their names in electronic copies of the
electoral roll.
The judgement effectively outlaws the sale of the electoral
register to credit reference agencies, banks, marketing companies
and other commercial organisations, unless voters give their
explicit permission for their names to be included on the
list.
The ruling has left councils, which are obliged by law to make
copies of the electoral register available to businesses for a
nominal fee, facing significant extra costs, the Electoral
Commission said this week.
"The financial burden inherent in the obligation to consult all
registered electors could be a significant one and for many local
authorities this could prove a major burden," the commission said
in emergency guidance sent to local authorities.
The commission is pressing the Government either to make extra
funds available to local authorities or to take other steps, such
as changing regulations to lift the financial burden on local
authorities.
It has urged local authorities to withhold copies of the electoral
roll while discussions are in progress, but has stopped short of
offering definitive legal advice.
Banks and credit reference companies are concerned that the ruling
will make it difficult for financial institutions to offer credit
to their customers, or to carry out checks for fraud and statutory
checks for money laundering.
Some organisations have threatened to sue local authorities if they
continue to withhold data, the Electoral Commission said.