How we are handling your personal information in the 2022 PARSA By-Election
In the 2022 PARSA By-Election (the Election) we will be asking for some information that is of a personal and private nature from candidates, proposers, seconders and voters as required by the Election Regulations.
Initially, I have addressed how this will be handled for nominations, I shall be able to provide information about how it will be handled for voters during the election in the next two weeks.
[1] For Candidates, Proposers and Seconders
What kinds of information will be asked for?
Certain Portfolio Officer positions in the Election require that when nominating a person must self-identify as a certain kind of person in order to be eligible (Clause 5.4 Election Regulations).
The kinds of positions and persons listed are:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Officer
(Must self-identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander);
- Disabilities Officer (Must self-identify as a person with a Disability);
- Queer Officer (Must self-identify as Queer);
- Women’s Officer (Must self-identify as a Woman).
We also need to know whether a person nominating for the position of Director of the Board self-identifies as Male or Female to facilitate the quotas prescribed by Section 16.1.4 of the Constitution.
It is also a requirement that a nomination is only proposed and seconded by people who are also eligible to nominate for that position (Clause 8.6.6 Election Regulations). So the people signing your nomination form are also required to provide information about how they self-identify if it is relevant.
For example, if you nominate for the position of Women’s Officer, which requires that the you self-identify as a Woman your proposer and seconder must also self-identify as Women.
When will I need to provide it?
This information shall be asked for along with the nominations form. Clase 8.6.6 of the Election Regulations allows for it to be collected via a separate declaration form, to keep things simple the declaration form is the last section on the nomination form.
This section can then be separated from the form and kept separately by the Returning Officer.
How will my privacy be protected?
Only the Returning Officer and the PARSA Operations Officer have access to nomination forms, which are stored in two locations:
- A digital copy shall be stored in the inbox of the parsa.elections@anu.edu.au email account if you submit your form electronically; and
- A printed copy shall be stored in a locked filing cabinet in the PARSA office.
These copies shall be kept until 30 days after the results of the Election are know. After this time physical copies shall be shredded, and digital copies deleted. No copies will be kept.
You are entitled at any time to request a copy of your information or to view your information in person.
We will not share this information without your written consent, unless we are required to by law. Clause 8.8.3 of the Election Regulations allows the Returning Officer to certify that the information provided is correct in the event that someone requests to see your nomination form ‘The Returning Officer shall not be obliged to provide the declaration form to persons wishing to view nominations’.
[2] For Voters
Clause 5.4 of the Election Regulations requires that voting for some Portfolio Officer positions is limited to people who self-identify as a certain kind of person relevant to that position.
Information about how voting for these positions and you information will be handled shall be provided closer to the polling date.