Privacy Policy

The Short Version

We don't track you. We don't sell your data. We don't show ads. Your polls and events are stored securely in the EU and deleted automatically after they expire. That's it.

Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

• Email address (for authentication and notifications)
• Password (securely hashed, never stored in plain text)
• Name (optional, for display purposes)

Poll and Event Data

When you create polls or events, we store:

• Poll titles, descriptions, and options
• Event details including dates, times, and locations
• Participant names and votes (as provided by voters)
• Location coordinates (only if you add a location)
• Images (Pro feature, stored on our servers)

API Usage

If you use our API, we track:

• API key usage (call counts for rate limiting)
• Last used timestamp per key

We don't log individual API request contents or parameters.

Technical Data

We collect minimal technical data necessary to operate the service:

• IP addresses (for security and abuse prevention, not tracking)
• Session tokens (for keeping you logged in)

What We Don't Collect

Unlike most services, we explicitly do NOT collect:

• Analytics or tracking data (no Google Analytics, Mixpanel, etc.)
• Browser fingerprints
• Advertising identifiers
• Third-party tracking cookies
• Behavioral data for profiling
• Your contacts or calendar (unless you explicitly connect them)

How We Use Your Information

Your data is used solely to provide the service:

• To create and manage your polls and events
• To send essential notifications (vote alerts, account security)
• To authenticate your account
• To process payments (via Polar)
• To prevent abuse and maintain security
• To enforce rate limits on API usage

We never sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for marketing or advertising.

Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored on servers located in Germany, protected by European privacy laws (GDPR). We implement industry-standard security measures:

• All connections encrypted with TLS/HTTPS
• Passwords hashed using secure algorithms (bcrypt)
• Two-factor authentication available
• PCI-compliant payment processing (via Polar)
• Regular security updates and monitoring

Image Storage

Images uploaded to polls and events (Pro feature) are stored on our servers in Germany. Images are deleted automatically when the associated poll or event is deleted or expires.

Data Retention

We don't hoard your data. Retention periods depend on your plan:

• Free: Polls and events deleted 30 days after they close or expire
• Pro: 90 days after close/expiry
• Team: 1 year after close/expiry
• Account data: Retained until you delete your account
• API usage stats: Rolling monthly counts, reset each month

Automatic cleanup runs daily. When data is deleted, it's gone—we don't keep backups of expired content.

Third-Party Services

We use a small number of third-party services to operate dtElection:

• Polar.sh: Payment processing for subscriptions. Polar is PCI-compliant and handles all payment card data—we never see your full card number. Polar Privacy Policy
• Cloudflare Turnstile: Bot protection on forms. Verifies you're human without tracking cookies or fingerprinting. Cloudflare Privacy Policy
• Google OAuth: Optional sign-in method (only if you choose to use it)
• OpenStreetMap/Nominatim: Map tiles and address search (no personal data shared)
• Email provider: For sending notifications (your email address only)

We carefully vet third-party services and only use those necessary for core functionality.

Your Rights

Under GDPR and other privacy regulations, you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of your data
• Rectification: Correct inaccurate data
• Erasure: Delete your account and all associated data
• Portability: Export your data in a standard format
• Objection: Object to certain data processing

You can delete your account at any time from Settings. This permanently removes all your polls, events, and account data.

Cookies

We use only essential cookies required for the service to function:

• Session cookie: Keeps you logged in (expires when you log out or after inactivity)
• Language preference: Remembers your language choice

That's it. No tracking cookies, no advertising cookies, no third-party analytics cookies. We don't need a cookie banner because we don't use cookies that require consent.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy when we add new features or services. For significant changes, we'll notify you by email. The "Last updated" date at the top tells you when it was last revised.

Questions?

If you have questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your data: