SKMMMS Election 2026

1. Introduction

SKMMMS Election 2026 ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our online voting platform.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following types of information:

• Personal Information: Name, date of birth, age, gender, email address, phone number, permanent address (mulgam), city, state, and voting region
• Voter Identification: VID Number (Voter ID), family number, and zone assignments
• Voting Information: Your vote selections, voting timestamp, IP address, device information, and user agent
• Authentication Data: OTP codes, session tokens, and login timestamps for secure access
• Technical Data: Device information, browser type, operating system, screen resolution, and approximate location data (for security and fraud prevention)
• Candidate Information: For candidates, we collect additional information including photos, Aadhaar documents, proposer details, manifestos, and professional background
• Document Data: Uploaded documents including photos, Aadhaar cards, and other supporting documents (stored securely in encrypted format)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

• To verify your identity and eligibility to vote
• To assign you to appropriate voting zones based on your region and age
• To process and record your vote securely
• To prevent fraud, duplicate voting, and ensure election integrity
• To communicate important election-related information via SMS and email
• To send OTP codes for authentication
• To generate anonymous statistical reports and voter turnout data
• To display candidate information and profiles to voters
• To manage candidate nominations and approvals
• To conduct security audits and investigations
• To comply with legal and regulatory requirements
• To maintain election records for historical and audit purposes

4. Vote Confidentiality

Your individual vote is strictly confidential and anonymous. While we record that you have voted, your specific vote selections are encrypted and cannot be traced back to you personally. Only aggregate voting statistics are made available.

Vote confidentiality measures:

• Vote selections are stored separately from voter identity information
• Encryption ensures votes cannot be read without proper authorization
• Access to individual vote data is restricted to authorized election administrators only
• Individual votes are never disclosed to candidates or third parties
• Only aggregate statistics (totals, percentages) are published
• Audit logs track access but do not reveal vote contents

5. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:

• End-to-end encryption for all voting data and personal information
• Secure authentication using OTP verification and session management
• HTTPS/SSL encryption for all data transmission
• Regular security audits, vulnerability assessments, and penetration testing
• Role-based access controls with least privilege principles
• Continuous monitoring and intrusion detection systems
• Secure data storage with encrypted databases
• Regular automated backups with encryption
• Secure document storage for candidate files
• IP address logging for security audit trails
• Session timeout and automatic logout features
• Protection against SQL injection, XSS, and other common vulnerabilities

Despite these measures, no system is 100% secure. We continuously work to improve security but cannot guarantee absolute security.

5.1. Data Breach Procedures

In the unlikely event of a data breach:

• We will immediately investigate and contain the breach
• Affected users will be notified within 72 hours
• Relevant authorities will be informed as required by law
• Remedial actions will be taken to prevent future breaches
• Security measures will be reviewed and strengthened

6. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share information only in the following circumstances:

• With authorized election committee members for election administration and verification
• When required by law, court order, or legal process
• To protect the rights, property, or safety of the election process, users, or the public
• With service providers who assist in operating the platform (under strict confidentiality agreements):
  • SMS service providers (for OTP delivery)
  • Cloud hosting and storage providers
  • Email service providers
  • Security and monitoring services
• With law enforcement agencies when legally required
• In case of merger, acquisition, or sale of assets (with prior notice)

All third-party service providers are contractually obligated to maintain confidentiality and use data only for specified purposes.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information and voting records for as long as necessary to:

• Complete the election process and announce results
• Maintain election records as required by law (typically 7 years or as per legal requirements)
• Address any disputes, complaints, or audits
• Comply with legal and regulatory obligations
• Maintain historical records for future reference
• Conduct post-election analysis and reporting

Retention periods:

• Voting Records: Retained for 7 years or as required by law
• Personal Information: Retained until account deletion or as required by law
• Candidate Documents: Retained for the duration of the election cycle and audit period
• Audit Logs: Retained for security and compliance purposes

After the retention period, data will be securely deleted or anonymized. Anonymized data may be retained for statistical and research purposes.

8. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal information
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Deletion: Request deletion of your data (subject to legal requirements and election record retention)
• Portability: Request your data in a portable format
• Objection: Object to certain types of data processing
• Withdrawal: Withdraw consent for data processing (where applicable, may affect your ability to vote)
• Complaints: Lodge complaints with the election committee or relevant data protection authority

To exercise these rights, contact us at kmselec2026@gmail.com with your request and verification details.

Important Notes:

• Once a vote is cast, it cannot be deleted as it is part of the official election record
• Some data must be retained for legal compliance and election integrity
• Deletion requests may take up to 30 days to process
• We may require identity verification before processing requests

9. Cookies and Tracking

We use essential cookies and session tokens to maintain your login session and ensure security. We do not use tracking cookies for advertising or analytics purposes.

Types of cookies we use:

• Session Cookies: Temporary cookies that expire when you close your browser, used for authentication
• Security Tokens: Used to verify your identity and prevent unauthorized access
• Preference Cookies: Store your language preferences and display settings

We do NOT use:

• Advertising or marketing cookies
• Third-party tracking cookies
• Analytics cookies from external services
• Social media tracking pixels

You can control cookies through your browser settings, but disabling essential cookies may affect platform functionality.

10. Third-Party Services

Our platform may use third-party services for:

• SMS Services: OTP delivery via SMS providers (e.g., Twilio) - only phone numbers are shared
• Cloud Hosting: Secure cloud infrastructure for hosting the platform and storing data
• Storage Services: Encrypted cloud storage for documents and files
• Email Services: For sending election-related communications
• Security Services: For monitoring, threat detection, and security analysis

These services are bound by their own privacy policies and strict confidentiality agreements. We only share the minimum necessary information required for service delivery.

Third-party service providers are:

• Contractually obligated to protect your data
• Prohibited from using your data for their own purposes
• Required to comply with data protection standards
• Subject to regular security audits

11. Voter Verification Process

To ensure election integrity, we verify voter identity through:

• Phone number verification via OTP
• Matching voter information with registered database
• Checking eligibility criteria (age, region, membership)
• Zone assignment verification
• Preventing duplicate voting through voter ID tracking

Verification data is used solely for authentication and eligibility checking, not for tracking voting choices.

12. IP Address and Location Data

We collect IP addresses and approximate location data for:

• Security and fraud prevention
• Detecting suspicious voting patterns
• Preventing unauthorized access
• Audit trail maintenance
• Compliance with legal requirements

IP addresses are logged but not used to identify individual voters or their voting choices. Location data is approximate (city/region level) and not precise GPS coordinates.

13. Children's Privacy

Our voting platform is intended for eligible voters only (18 years and above). We do not knowingly collect information from individuals under 18 years of age.

If we discover that we have collected information from someone under 18, we will immediately delete such information and take steps to prevent future collection.

14. Photo and Document Storage

For candidates, we store uploaded documents including:

• Candidate photos (displayed publicly on the platform)
• Aadhaar card copies (stored securely, not publicly displayed)
• Proposer documents (stored securely)
• Other supporting documents

Documents are stored in encrypted format and accessed only by authorized election administrators. Candidate photos are displayed to voters as part of the voting process. Other documents remain confidential.

15. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Significant changes will be communicated through:

• Email notifications to registered users
• SMS alerts for critical changes
• Prominent notices on the platform
• Updated revision date on this page

16. Contact Us

For questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact: