Electors

Municipality of Utrecht

Selecting which residents are eligible to vote in an election.

Last change on 12th of July 2024, at 9:29 (CET) | Publication Standard 1.0

• Publication category: Impactful algorithms
• Impact assessment: DPIA, ...
• Status: In use

General information

Theme

Law

Begin date

-

Contact information

[e-mail]

Responsible use

Goal and impact

For a specific election, automatically selecting all persons entitled to vote from among the residents as registered in the municipality's Basic Registration of Persons (BRP). And thus determine for the various types of elections (e.g. House of Representatives, Provincial Council, Municipal Council) which Utrecht residents are eligible to vote at the relevant election.

Considerations

Results Uthiek Assessment: by determining Utrechters entitled to vote in elections, we contribute to the democratic functioning of our public administration. In doing so, we fulfil the value of Autonomy, by giving Utrechters the right to vote. Data analysis takes place in a secure, responsible and protected manner. This fulfils the values of Privacy and Technology Control. Everyone entitled to vote can therefore vote in the election concerned, regardless of their personal situation or context. In doing so, we give substance to the value Human Dignity.

Without the use of an algorithm, this selection cannot be made within the time limit specified in the Elections Act (1 day). Also, a selection of around 75% of the total number of inhabitants is qualitatively better made with an algorithm than by hand.

Human intervention

The algorithm (with a direct impact on Utrecht residents and their living environment) only serves as a source of information for an employee, who takes the appropriate next step based on this information and the context of the situation. This principle is included in our Utrecht framework Internal Guidelines for Algorithm Application.

Risk management

The Utrecht data scientists, Information and Process Advisors (IPA) and Decentralised Information Security Officers (DISO) within the Utrecht municipality have a controlling and monitoring role in the application of the algorithm, in addition to the employees directly involved. By doing so, we want to prevent the following risks from occurring:

- data leak by making personal data of Utrecht residents publicly available

- algorithm takes a decision completely independently, without the intervention of an employee and without interpreting the relevant context of the situation

- 'function creep' regarding data in the application of the algorithm, causing the algorithm to give a distorted picture of what is going on. This can occur because the same type of data is used when applying the algorithm, and the algorithm uses that as confirmation of what comes out as information

Legal basis

Elections Act sections D1 and J7

Links to legal bases

Kieswet: https://wetten.overheid.nl/jci1.3:c:BWBR0004627&afdeling=II&hoofdstuk=D&artikel=D_2&z=2023-06-20&g=2023-06-20 https://wetten.overheid.nl/jci1.3:c:BWBR0004627&afdeling=II&hoofdstuk=J&paragraaf=2&artikel=J_7&z=2023-06-20&g=2023-06-20

Impact assessment

• Utrechts Uthiek Assessment
• Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)

Operations

Data

The application of the algorithm within this process uses the following data of Utrecht residents from the BRP, among others:

- nationality

- age

- duration of residence permit

- registration European Right to Vote for non-Dutch EU nationals at an EU election

- date of registration in the municipality

This determines whether Utrecht residents are entitled to vote at the relevant election. The requirements per election (e.g. House of Representatives, Provincial Council, Municipal Council) differ in practice.