Privacy Policy

TLDR

When you use our Build a Ballot tool and website, we may collect some information about you. This includes…

Your name and email address
Your ‘political opinions’
Your postcode
Information about how you interacted with our website and tool

When using the Build a Ballot tool, you don’t need to provide any personal, identifiable information (eg. name or email address). You have the option to add an email address to send your ballot to yourself, but you can always take a screenshot if you prefer.

We collect this information through…

Forms and tool interactions: if you write something in a form and click submit? We get that information (almost like, that’s the point). Similarly, when you use our Build a Ballot tool, we collect some information about your voting and political preferences.‍
Google Analytics: this stores information such as your IP address and what you did while you were on the website (like what pages you visited, not what you were eating while you scrolled)
‍Meta Pixel: similar to Google, this will track information such as your IP address. This may also link to other information Meta has about you, which is why you could get ads from us in the future and think ‘are they tracking me across the internet?’. Basically, we are. But in a way that just really cares about you making informed voting decisions.

What we do with this information…

‍Send you stuff: if you sign up to a mailing list, we’ll send you some emails. You can always unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of any email we’ll send.‍
Tailor your voting recommendations: we use the information you submit through the Build a Ballot tool questionnaire to provide you with a ‘match score’ and voting recommendations.‍
Tailor advertising: basically if you visit our website, we might create an ad targeted towards you that says ‘please come back (and plan your vote)’ - we’re super clingy like that
‍Share aggregated insights: we’ll share some de-identified, statistical information about what issues are most popular with Australian voters

Your privacy is super important to us and we have taken steps to ensure that no one can get access to the information you provide. Any information we collect will only be used for the purposes above and definitely will not be shared, sold, or disclosed to any third parties (except as required by law). Your secrets (data) are safe with us xx

‍

Ok now the boring version

Effective Date: 10 April 2025

Project Planet ("we", "our", "us") is committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) ("Privacy Act") and the Australian Privacy Principles ("APPs"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and store your personal information when you use our website and Build a Ballot tool to generate and receive a "Voting Plan" for the Australian federal election.

Build a Ballot is a project operated by Project Planet Inc. This website is owned and operated by Project Planet Inc. For requests, complaints or inquiries contact us by email at hello@buildaballot.org.au

1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following personal information to provide our services:

Your name, contact details and email address: To send you a tailored Voting Plan and other email communications.
Postcode: To tailor voting recommendations specific to your electoral district.
Political Opinions: To customise the Voting Plan based on your preferences and provide match recommendations within the tool.
Your communications and interactions with us on social media.
Your interactions with the Build a Ballot tool and website.

2. How We Collect Your Information

We collect your information directly from you...

When you provide your information during onboarding, during the “Build your Ballot” process and when saving your Voting Plan within the tool.
When you interact with the tool to submit your preferences.
When you provide your information through a form on our website or linked to Build a Ballot.

3. Purpose of Collection

We collect, use, and disclose your personal information for the following purposes:

To generate and send personalised Voting Plan cards.
To ensure the recommendations are accurate and relevant to your electoral district.
To communicate with you about your preferences or related tool features.
To promote the Build a Ballot tool through email marketing, digital advertising and other forms of communication
To share generalised, de-identified findings about the voting preferences of Australian voters

4. Legal Basis for Collection

Under the Privacy Act, we collect your personal information with your consent, which is provided when using our tool and agreeing to this Privacy Policy.

Collection of sensitive information, such as your political opinions, is conducted strictly in line with the APPs and requires your explicit consent.

5. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information (email address, name) only for purposes related to generating and delivering the Voting Plan card and promoting Build a Ballot. Your information will not be shared, sold, or disclosed to third parties except as required by law or explicitly agreed upon by you.

We may provide marketing communications and targeted advertising to you on an ongoing basis by telephone, electronic messages (for example, email), SMS, through our digital services, and by other means.

Political opinions you provide to us during the onboarding process may be aggregated and shared in a report format for research or public interest purposes. Underlying data will not be shared, sold, or disclosed to any third parties and any published information will only be aggregated and statistical in nature. No identifiable, personal information (such as your email address) will be shared in this way under any circumstances.

6. Storage and Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. This includes:

Securely encrypting your data during transmission and storage.
Limiting access to your information to authorised personnel only.

While we take all reasonable steps, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. By using our website and tool, you acknowledge the inherent risks of transmitting information over the internet.

7. Disclosure of Information

We will only disclose your personal information:

With your consent.
When required by law or a court order.

To protect the rights, property, or safety of Build a Ballot, our users, or others.

8. Cookies

The Build a Ballot website and tool use “cookies”. A cookie is a piece of information which allows a web server to identify and interact more effectively with your device. The cookie assists us in maintaining the continuity of your browsing session and remembering your details and preferences when you return. You can configure your web browser to reject and delete cookies and block JavaScript, but you may find parts of the Build a Ballot website have limited functionality.

These systems record a variety of information in relation to interactions with our online services. This can include information about software versions used, device types, device identifiers (like IP address), location data (where available and not disabled by the user), dates, times, metadata, referring website, data entered, and user activity such as links clicked.

In some cases, third parties may use cookies and other technologies, such as those described above, as part of Build a Ballot digital services. These technologies may be used in connection with activities like surveys, online behavioural advertising, website analytics, and email campaign management. The services we may use from time to time include Google Analytics, Google Ads, Meta Advertising and Flodesk.

9. Social Media

We store records of your communications and interactions with us and collect personal information from you when you connect with any of our social media profiles, including our TikTok and Instagram page. This information enables us to run relevant advertising to you using these platforms. Information collected via social media will be handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy, as well as the privacy policies of the relevant social media platforms

We may also collect personal information when you submit content on our social media pages. By submitting content, you agree we may use this content, including your name, and any other personal information submitted by you, either temporarily or permanently, for testimonial, marketing or other purposes in any media without any compensation to you.

10. Your Rights

You have the right to:

Access your personal information held by us.
Request correction of any inaccuracies.
Withdraw your consent to the collection and use of your information at any time.

To exercise these rights, please contact us at hello@buildaballot.org.au

11. Opt Out

If you receive a Build a Ballot promotional email you can opt-out at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the footer of every promotional email. If you wish to access or correct any personal information we hold about you or have any feedback or concerns about privacy, please contact us.

12. Retention and Deletion of Data

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy or as required by law. After this period, we securely delete or de-identify your information.

13. Third-Party Services

We may use third-party services to facilitate certain app functions. These services are required to handle your information in compliance with the Privacy Act and APPs. However, we are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties.

14. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on our website and tool and will take effect upon publication. We encourage you to review this policy regularly to stay informed about how we handle your personal information.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints about this Privacy Policy or our handling of your personal information, you can contact us at: hello@buildaballot.org.au

We are committed to resolving any concerns you may have promptly and in accordance with the Privacy Act.

By using Build a Ballot, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and agree to its terms.