Policy Overview

The Arlington Democrats are committed to protecting the privacy and security of the personal information of our members and supporters. This policy outlines our practices for data access and usage.

Data Collection and Storage

The Arlington Democrats collect and store personal information from our members and supporters, including names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. This information is collected through membership forms, event sign-ups, and online donations. All personal information is stored securely on third-party cloud-based servers and databases, which are protected by firewalls and other security measures.

Data Access

Access to personal information is restricted to authorized Arlington Democrats officers and volunteers who require the information to perform their duties. All officers and volunteers who handle personal information are required to sign a confidentiality agreement and complete training on data privacy and security. Personal information is only used for legitimate Arlington Democrats activities, such as sending newsletters, event invitations, and donation solicitations. We generally do not sell or share personal information with third parties. However, because Arlington Democrats do support candidates for office, we make the following data sets and information available under the conditions stated below.

All usage of datasets must comply with the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing ("CAN-SPAM") Act. In 2003, Congress enacted the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing ("CAN-SPAM") Act to set a national standard for the regulation of spam email. See 15 U.S.C. § 7701(a)(11); S. Rep. No. 108-102 (2003), at 21-22. Among other things, the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 prohibits the inclusion of deceptive or misleading information and subject headings, requires identifying information such as a return address in email messages, and prohibits sending emails to a recipient after an explicit response that the recipient does not want to continue receiving messages (i.e. an "opt-out"). See 15 U.S.C. § 7704(a); CAN-SPAM Act of 2003: Core Requirements.

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Data Access Request Guidelines

1. ArlDems lists and related services are provided to all eligible candidates impartially and on a confidential basis.
2. Requests should be made to Arlington Democrats Elected and Candidate Support at political@arlingtondemocrats.org.
3. Requests are handled on a first-come, first-served basis. Please allow at least 48 hours for a simple request, and more time for complicated projects. An initial query a week or two before the project deadline is prudent and appreciated, especially as primary or caucus deadlines approach.
4. Every candidate who obtains an ArlDems list is expected to help maintain the quality of ArlDems data by promptly reporting back updates and changes, such as bad phone numbers and voters who have moved.
5. For bulk mailings, the U.S. Postal Service requires mailers either to run a National Change of Address (NCOA) database check or to address mailed pieces to “XX or Current Resident.” If an NCOA check is done, candidates are requested to ask for the resulting file of address changes and to send that file promptly to the ArlDems Tech & Data Chair to help keep records up to date.
6. ArlDems does note and honor serious requests from voters to receive “no mail” and/or “no calls.” Candidates using ArlDems lists are expected to respect such requests and relay any new requests to the ArlDems Tech & Data Chair. Use of email addresses or Google groups is only allowed in BCC mode to further protect an individuals privacy.
7. Lists obtained from ArlDems are to be used only for the campaign for which they are provided, and not for any other political purpose or for any non-political purpose at all. Please note that ArlDems inserts identifiers in each list provided to a campaign, which enables ArlDems to determine if the list is misused. Similarly, ArlDems officials, including Precinct Captains, who have access to ArlDems data and/or to VAN for ArlDems purposes are not to use that access for individual campaigns.
8. To access ArlDems lists, an Data Access Agreement must be executed.

Data Retention and Disposal

Personal information is retained for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected. Once personal information is no longer needed, it is securely deleted or destroyed.

Use of Committee Email Groups