We take the privacy of your information very seriously. The following policy ("Policy" or "Policies") outlines how votegraph.com ("Votegraph") and Votegraph, LLC uses and manages user information. By using or accessing Votegraph, you agree to abide by this Policy and any subsequent updated Policies, as they are posted on Votegraph.
1. Definitions
- "User" – Anyone using or accessing Votegraph.
- "Voter Account" – A free account on Votegraph that requires sign up and allows Users to, among many things, follow political candidates.
- "Candidate Account" – An account on Votegraph for use by political candidates that requires sign up and allows Users to, among many things, create a publicly viewable campaign profile. All Candidate Accounts include a Voter Account.
- "Voter" – Users who have an active Voter Account.
- "Candidate" – Users who have an active Candidate Account. All Candidates are also Voters.
- "Us", "We", or "Our" – Votegraph, LLC
- "Public Information" – Any information provided by a Candidate, excluding account email address, password, security questions, billing information, and account phone number, and of which Votegraph makes viewable to other Users.
2. Scope of Policy
- This Policy supersedes all prior versions.
- If any part of this Policy is determined to be unenforceable, all other parts will remain valid and enforceable.
- This Policy will remain in effect even if we fail to enforce any part of this Policy.
- We will comply with the law, even if it contradicts with any part of this Policy.
- This Policy is provided in the English language. If we provide any translations to this Policy which conflict with the English version, the English version will take precedence.
- We reserve all rights not specifically given to you.
3. Information we collect or receive about Users.
During your use of Votegraph, we will collect various information about you, including, but not limited to:
- Information required during Voter Account creation, such as: email, password, security questions, geographic location, and geo-political location.
- Information required during Candidate Account creation, such as: email, password, security questions, phone number, geographic location, geo-political location, campaign information, and desired Votegraph profile URL.
- Information required when a Candidate Account exceeds the free subscription level, such as: credit card billing information.
- Which Candidates you wish to follow or track.
- Any content provided when you communicate with Votegraph or us using methods such as: email, chat, community message boards, mail, or phone.
- Information about the device you're using to access Votegraph, such as IP address, internet service provider, operating system, location, the type of browser you're using, and the type of device you are using.
- Information you enter as part of your general browsing of Votegraph, such as: search values, login information (including timestamps of attempts), and which URL pages you have visited on Votegraph.
- Information coming from “cookies” on your browser or device. These cookies help provide some of our services and keep Votegraph secure, such as authenticating a User.
- Public Information you choose to provide as part of a Candidate Account, such as your: name, bio statement, profile photo (including any metadata), profile video links, employment information, campaign information, personal information, demographics, birthday, social networking information, office phone numbers, campaign platform statements, news comments, event details, and custom Votegraph profile URL.
4. How we use this information
The information we collect and receive about you is used to enable the various services and features we provide to you and other Users. We may also use this information to:
- Ensure that our services and partners are kept safe.
- Develop new services.
- Enable our own internal processes, such as maintenance, troubleshooting, support, testing, research, and accounting.
- Address violations to our Terms of Use (www.votegraph.com/terms) or this Policy.
- Respond to legal requests.
5. Information we do not share about Users
We understand that keeping your identity safe is important. The following information is not shared outside Votegraph.
- User passwords and answers to security questions.
- Candidate Birthdays. These are only used to calculate and share a Candidate's age, if the Candidate chooses to provide their birthday.
We've taken steps to ensure this information is kept secure, but we recognize that third-parties may attempt to access this information illegally or without our approval. We are not responsible, at any level, for the actions of these third-parties or for any loss incurred by you from their actions. If we find that such an event has occurred, we will inform you and take appropriate steps to prevent further occurrences.
6. Information we share about Users
We may share the following information to enable our features and services.
- Non-identifiable information about Voters, such as their geographic location, geo-political location, and which Candidates they are following or tracking. This information is always generalized so that individual Voters cannot be identified.
- Candidate phone numbers, as provided during creation of a Candidate Account, are used only as a verification and security measure and are not shared with other Users. During a User's creation of a Candidate Account, these numbers are provided securely to a third-party, internet-based service that enables the sending of verification codes to the Candidate, and confirmation of these codes on the Votegraph website.
- Candidate email addresses and billing information (including name, address, and credit card number), as provided during creation of a Candidate Account (and any subsequent updates by a Candidate), are provided securely to a third-party, internet-based service which handles payment processing for Votegraph. This third-party maintains the email addresses and billing information using highly secure methods. Votegraph maintains some limited billing information, but not enough to charge the Candidate without this third-party service.
- User email addresses are provided to a third-party, internet-based email exchange service that helps ensure delivery of any system-generated emails from Votegraph. Your email address is kept secure within this third-party service.
- Email data, chat messages, and community message board content are processed using third-party, internet-based services to ensure functionality of those features. Community message board content may be shared with other Users. Email addresses, email data, and chat messages may be shared with support partners only as far as to provide support services to Users.
- Mailing addresses and mail content, as provided on or in mail received by us, may be shared if the mail contents involve criminal activities.
- Phone call conversations to us or our partners are processed through third-party telecommunication services. We may also record these conversations using third-party services, as allowed by local and federal laws.
- Information about the device you're using to access Votegraph, such as IP address, internet service provider, operating system, location, the type of browser, and the type of device.
- Non-identifiable data regarding which URL pages Users have visited on Votegraph.
- Public Information. This information is completely optional, is made publicly accessible to all Users at all times, and may be associated to you and your name on and off of Votegraph.
- Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary, any information we are required to provide by law.
7. Force Majeure
We are not liable for any failure, delay, or limitation in providing of our services to Users when:
- Such a failure, delay, or limitation is due to causes beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to: acts of God, tornados, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, fires, explosions, dangerous weather conditions, power blackouts, war, terrorism, threats of terrorism, nuclear disasters, civil disorder, strikes, labor disputes, disease outbreaks, embargoes, or government actions.
- The continued provision of our services would be commercial impractical, impossible, or illegal.
8. Waiver
Our failure to exercise, delay in exercising, or partial exercising of any rights, provisions, obligations, or privileges under this Policy:
- Shall not constitute a waiver of those rights, provisions, obligations, or privileges at a later date.
- Shall not constitute a waiver of any other rights, provisions, obligations, or privileges under this Policy or our Terms of Use, as posted at www.votegraph.com/terms.
9. Disputes
- You will submit and resolve any claims, disputes, or legal actions you make or have with us, whether or not they are related to this Policy or generally with us, in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Texas or in a state, county, or local court located in Collin County, Texas. For such claims, disputes, or legal actions, you agree to submit to the jurisdiction of such courts for all litigation.
- This Policy is governed by the laws of the State of Texas, as well as any claims, disputes, or legal actions that may arise between you and us, as allowed by the law.
- If anyone makes a claim against us which is related to your actions or content you posted on Votegraph, you will indemnify us and hold us unaccountable for any losses or damages related to such a claim. This includes any legal fees or costs related, in any way, to such a claim.
- For any concerns related to this Policy, please contact us at legal@votegraph.com.
10. Amendments to this Policy
- Unless we change this Policy for the following reasons, we will provide you seven days' notice of changes via the email address under your account.
- Legal requirements
- Administrative needs
- Grammatical errors
- Unintended or inaccurate statements
- We are in no way obligated to provide notice of changes via mail, phone, or other communication methods. We are not responsible if you are unable to receive these notices due to conditions outside our control, including your failure to keep your email address updated in your account or your email service blocking our emails.
- Once an updated Policy is published on Votegraph, your continued use of Votegraph constitutes your agreement and acceptance of that updated Policy. If you choose to discontinue use of Votegraph before an updated Policy becomes effective, any information retained by Votegraph after your discontinued use will be governed by the updated Policy.
- Updated Policies will be posted under the "Privacy Policy" link on Votegraph (www.votegraph.com/privacy).
11. Effective Dates & Termination
- The effective dates of this Policy, and any future updates to this Policy, begin when a User initially uses or accesses Votegraph and continues indefinitely, unless our business operations cease.
- Information about you and provided by you during your use of Votegraph may be retained beyond your discontinued use of Votegraph. This information will only be used within the limitations of this Policy or updated Policies.