OVERVIEW
The South Carolina State Election Commission (SEC) maintains the website, SCVotes.gov. The privacy of visitors to SCVotes.gov is important to the SEC. This privacy statement addresses the collection, security, and disclosure of information that may be obtained when members of the public visit our website.
Please note that information provided by visitors to this website may be subject to disclosure as required by State or federal law or as otherwise described in this privacy statement.
CHANGES TO THIS STATEMENT
From time to time the SEC may change the terms of this privacy statement. Notification of such changes will be posted on this website. By continuing to visit and use this website after notice of changes to the privacy statement are posted, you are indicating that you accept and agree to the amended privacy statement.
INFORMATION COLLECTED AND STORED AUTOMATICALLY
When you visit SCVotes.gov, the SEC may automatically collect and store information related to the visit. This is done to assess how the website is used by its visitors so that the service provided by the website to its visitors can be improved. Any information collected will only be stored and used in the aggregate and will not be used to contact you personally. Below you will find listed the kind of information that may be automatically collected or otherwise retained by the SEC:
- If you are using this site to read or download information, then for statistical purposes we may collect and store the following information:
- the IP address from which you accessed our website;
- the name of the domain from which you accessed the Internet;
- the type of browser and operating system used to access our website;
- the date and time you accessed our site;
- the pages, files, documents, and links that you visit, and
- the website URL that referred you to this website (the address for the last website you visited before visiting this one).
- If you are using this site to send us an email:
- By sending us an electronic mail message, you may be sending us personal information (e.g., name, physical address, email address). We may store the name and addresses of persons contacting the SEC via email. For example, if a person emails the SEC with a request for documents under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), we may store the name and addresses of the person presenting the FOIA request in order to respond to the request.
- If you are using this site to register, update your voter information, or purchase voter information:
- Our site may ask visitors who request specific information or services to fill out a registration form or to provide various personal information to the SEC.
- If you visit SCVotes.gov to register to vote, you will be asked to provide information required to validate your registration.
- If you visit SCVotes.gov to purchase a voter list via the List Sales Program, you will be asked to provide information required to validate your identity and financial information required to complete your purchase.
- Also, from time-to-time, information may be collected at this site via questionnaires, feedback forms, or other means that will require the active engagement of visitors to the site. Information provided in this way may be used by the SEC for the purpose of providing better service to the public.
DATA PRIVACY
The SEC intends to keep as confidential any information it collects from visitors to SCVotes.gov. However, as a part of their job duties, SEC employees may be able to view or access information gathered from visitors. Also, because the SEC is a public agency, it is subject to the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Therefore, some information collected from visitors to SCVotes.gov may be subject to disclosure under FOIA.
DATA YOU PROVIDE TO THE SEC
If data you have provided to the SEC is stored in SEC systems, it may be accessed by our staff members in the performance of their job duties and may be subject to disclosure by rule, regulation, or law. For example, we may be required, by law, to disclose your data without your consent and without notice in order to comply with a valid legal process, such as a subpoena, court order, or search warrant.
Data maintained in SEC systems will be protected using security protocols established by the South Carolina Division of Information Security (DIS). DIS policies and procedures may be reviewed by visiting https://admin.sc.gov/technology/policies_procedures.
DATA SHARING:
The Family Privacy Protection Act of 2002: This Act prohibits persons or private entities from using any personal information obtained from a state agency for commercial solicitation purposes. A person who knowingly violating this prohibition is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to the penalties specified in South Carolina Code of Laws Section 30-2-50(D).
The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA), 15 U.S.C. § 6501, et seq.: Our website is not geared towards children under 13 years of age. Younger visitors should always check with their parents or guardians before entering information on any website, and we encourage families to discuss their household guidelines regarding the online sharing of personal information.
LINKS TO OTHER SITES:
This website may post links to other government sites and occasionally to private organizations. If you are vising our website and leave it by clicking on such a link, you will be subject to the privacy policy for the website you then visit. The SEC website is not responsible for the contents of any off-site web page. A link to an off-site webpage does not constitute an endorsement.
Questions about this privacy statement may be directed to elections@elections.sc.gov.