Electoral Roll and GDPR

The Electoral Roll and GDPR: Guidance for Parishes - January 2020

• Electoral Roll Guidance Document (PDF)
• Electoral Roll Guidance Document (Word)

1. In 2020 and every five years afterwards, each parish is required to undertake a complete ‘re-write’ of their electoral roll (“the Roll”). All members of the roll must re-apply, or their names are removed from the Roll.
2. The Church in Wales has recently received legal advice that the public display in Church of the Electoral Roll (once compiled) is likely to be contrary the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Amendments to the Constitution are currently being prepared, but in the meantime the Electoral Roll should not be displayed publicly in church. Instead, a list of names (not addresses) appearing on the Roll should be made available for inspection on request by any Member of the Church in Wales.
3. A revised Electoral Roll form, in English and Welsh, is available to download below in both PDF and Word format. The Word version of the form can be amended by parishes to insert their parish details but should not be further amended.
   1. English:
      Electoral Roll form (PDF)
      Electoral Roll form (Word)
   2. Welsh:
      Electoral Roll form (PDF)
      Electoral Roll form (Word)
4. A draft Privacy Notice is also available below in Word format. This should be made available to anybody applying to be on the electoral roll. The parish name and contact details of the relevant parish officer should be inserted into this notice by each parish prior to printing.
   1. English:
      Privacy Notice (Word)
   2. Welsh:
      Privacy Notice (Word)
5. There are two notices which should be displayed in church as part of the revision process:
   1. A Notice of Proposed Revision of the Roll – this gives the congregation formal notice that they need to (re)apply to join the Roll. The details of the relevant parish and the relevant deadlines for application should be inserted by each parish, and then this notice should be displayed in each parish church.
      1. English:
         Notice of Proposed Revision of the Roll (PDF)
         Notice of Proposed Revision of the Roll (Word)
      2. Welsh:
         Notice of Proposed Revision of the Roll (PDF)
         Notice of Proposed Revision of the Roll (Word)
   2. A Notice of Completed Revision of the Roll – this gives the congregation formal notice that the process has been completed and that the revised Roll is available for inspection. It must be displayed for at least 15 days prior to the Annual Vestry Meeting.
      1. English:
         Notice of Completed Revision of the Roll (PDF)
         Notice of Completed Revision of the Roll (Word)
      2. Welsh:
         Notice of Completed Revision of the Roll (PDF)
         Notice of Completed Revision of the Roll (Word)
6. Member of the Church in Wales, as defined in the Constitution means:
   1. any office holder in the Church in Wales;
   2. any Cleric and deaconess in receipt of a pension from the Representative Body;
   3. any person whose name is entered on the electoral roll of a Parish; and
   4. any member of the Governing Body and the Representative Body and any committees of them.