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Tory scam to steal your data for electoral purposes
noblegiraffe · Yesterday 11:26
Local Tory parties are sending out letters asking people to sign up for postal votes, with an application form for a postal vote (genuine).
They are providing a free post envelope to send it back in.
This free post envelope does not go to the electoral services office address on the form, it goes to the local Tory party office.
They can then look at the form, see your details and know that you're wanting a postal vote (so can target you earlier in the election campaign). They will also know that you read mail from the conservatives.
Hopefully they will then pass your postal vote application form onto the correct address, but who knows?
Here's an example from twitter. People in a different area have also received one, but the free post envelope did not mention the Conservatives, it's only googling that showed the real destination.
twitter.com/markdpryan/status/1637165173734612999?s=61&t=U9XrcF693-JpMxeIueYG7g
MrsDanversGlidesAgain · Yesterday 11:31
They're making sure that everyone who wants to can vote in the hope that that vote will be for them. Where's the scam? and your data is freely available on the voters register if you haven't opted out.
noblegiraffe · Yesterday 11:34
The scam is that you send it back to them and not to the right place, so that they can harvest your data while pretending that they are doing you a favour.
noblegiraffe · Yesterday 11:35
your data is freely available on the voters register if you haven't opted out.
And if you have opted out?
Also, the electoral register doesn't give you any info about postal voting, nor about whether you reply to Tory mailshots.
MilkTwoSugarsThanks · Yesterday 11:38
It's the Lib Dems doing it round here so I don't think it's a Tory scam.
Theres no information on the form that they are not already entitled to for electoral purposes. You can only opt out of the public register, not the full one.
WrigglyDonCat · Yesterday 11:41
Most political parties have done this for years. Labour has had a certain reputation for it in some areas, along with suggestions about how exactly the forms got filled out...
noblegiraffe · Yesterday 11:42
Theres no information on the form that they are not already entitled to for electoral purposes.
The fact that you will be voting postally, and probably voting conservative would be quite useful extra data don't you think?
WarningToTheCurious · Yesterday 11:44
noblegiraffe · Yesterday 11:35
your data is freely available on the voters register if you haven't opted out.
And if you have opted out?
Also, the electoral register doesn't give you any info about postal voting, nor about whether you reply to Tory mailshots.
That’s interesting - as we are postal voters and opted out of the register, yet a LibDem candidate doorstepped us a while back because she wanted to meet postal voters.
MilkTwoSugarsThanks · Yesterday 11:46
noblegiraffe · Yesterday 11:42
Theres no information on the form that they are not already entitled to for electoral purposes.
The fact that you will be voting postally, and probably voting conservative would be quite useful extra data don't you think?
Doesn't make any difference. They are legally entitled to send out mail regarding the election whoever you're probably voting for.
noblegiraffe · Yesterday 11:48
They are legally entitled to send out mail regarding the election whoever you're probably voting for.
I have no problem with them sending out leaflets. 🤷♀️
This, on the other hand, is sly.
Itsnotfairhuff · Yesterday 11:48
How is it sly? They're not getting any extra data from this process.
MrsDanversGlidesAgain · Yesterday 11:51
WrigglyDonCat · Yesterday 11:41
Most political parties have done this for years. Labour has had a certain reputation for it in some areas, along with suggestions about how exactly the forms got filled out...
Hence the need for photo ID next time you vote. I'm as careful as I can be with my data but I can't get worked up about someone using what's already available to them legally.
Oh sorry, it's the evil Tories, isn't it? they must be up to something nefarious, in that case.
blumppump · Yesterday 11:51
It's not sly.
ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/key-dp-themes/guidance-for-the-use-of-personal-data-in-political-campaigning-1/use-of-the-electoral-register/
They're entitled to access both the full and marked registers.
MilkTwoSugarsThanks · Yesterday 11:52
This, on the other hand, is sly.
What's sly about it?
I know you love your Tory Conspiracy Theories noblegiraffe, but this isn't one of them.
ThistleWhistle · Yesterday 11:52
Political parties are entitled to have lists of postal voters before an election and also after an election they can buy the list of marked registers, ie from the marked registers they can see who has voted. They just don’t know who they voted for.
noblegiraffe · Yesterday 11:52
Itsnotfairhuff · Yesterday 11:48
How is it sly? They're not getting any extra data from this process.
Right, I've just looked up what's on the electoral register
"The details you are likely to have to provide are your name, address, national insurance number, nationality and age."
And what's on this form that isn't included in that list:
Phone number
Email address
Address for ballot paper to be sent to (if different to registered address)
How long you want a postal vote for
Date of birth
Signature
So they are getting extra data.
MrsDanversGlidesAgain · Yesterday 11:53
The fact that you will be voting postally, and probably voting conservative would be quite useful extra data don't you think?
No, I don't. How and why is it useful? I mean, I can see they will know that you want to vote, and every party wants to increase voter turnout, but I can't see how apart from an election that's 'quite useful data.' No party will know how you vote unless you tell them.
MrsHerculePoirot · Yesterday 11:54
I think what is being suggested as sly here is that the implication is that you are registering for a postal vote BUT they are not making it clear that you are replying to them directly and NOT directly to the electoral register/whoever you need to apply to for postal votes.
noblegiraffe · Yesterday 11:54
No, I don't. How and why is it useful?
Because postal voters vote earlier so need to be targeted earlier.
You also don't want to be badgering people to remind them to vote if you think they're going to vote for the other guy, do you?
MilkTwoSugarsThanks · Yesterday 11:55
There's also a box to tick to say you don't want them to contact you so 🤷🏼♀️
noblegiraffe · Yesterday 11:55
blumppump · Yesterday 11:54
This thread is absolute conspiracy theory gone mad.
If this were an innnocent mail shot to help people to register for a postal vote, why does the envelope not go to the right place to register for a postal vote?
blumppump · Yesterday 11:57
The address to return it to is clearly marked at the top of the form.
noblegiraffe · Yesterday 11:57
blumppump · Yesterday 11:57
The address to return it to is clearly marked at the top of the form.
And the free envelope provided doesn't go there.
blumppump · Yesterday 11:58
@noblegiraffe the electoral commission address is literally in bold at the top of the form
MrsDanversGlidesAgain · Yesterday 11:58
You also don't want to be badgering people to remind them to vote if you think they're going to vote for the other guy, do you?
Don't you get canvassing leaflets from all the parties, then? because I do. That's badgering people to vote without knowing if they're going to vote for the other guy. It's called reminding people there's a democratic process going on and we'd like as many as possible of you to take part, hopefull voting for us and not him.
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