Last updated: October 13, 2026
Who we are
OurBlock Network is a community demand pilot for Minnesota. Our website address is https://ourblock.network. This policy explains what personal information we collect through this site, why we collect it, and the choices you have.
What we collect
We collect only what you choose to give us through our forms, plus basic technical data your browser sends automatically.
- Community ballots. When you vote, we collect your first and last name, email address, zip code, your business choice or write-in suggestion, and the pledge amount you enter. We link these details to your vote so each vote is real and so your record can move with you when pledging opens.
- Entrepreneur submissions. When you ask to be added to a ballot, we collect your name, email address, preferred community, your business concept, and what it would bring to downtown.
- Community requests. When you ask us to bring OurBlock to your town, we collect your name, email address, your community, your reason, and whether we may contact you.
- City and property owner inquiries. If you contact us on behalf of a city, organization or property, we collect the contact and property details you submit so we can respond and review your request.
- Technical data. Like most websites, we receive your IP address, browser type, device information and the pages you visit.
How we use your information
- To count votes and share results with the community.
- To contact you about ballots, pilot updates, and next steps, including when pledging opens.
- To review entrepreneur, city and property owner submissions.
- To prevent spam and abuse, using tools such as Google reCAPTCHA, and to keep the site secure.
- To understand how the site is used so we can improve it.
We do not sell your personal information.
What is shown publicly
Vote totals are shown as counts. We do not publish the names, email addresses or zip codes of individual voters. If your business concept is placed on a community ballot, the concept and description you submitted may be displayed publicly. We do not publish your email address.
Pledges and payments
The pledge process (vote, pledge, buy, receive a gift certificate) is not open yet, and we do not currently collect payments through this site. The pledge amount field on the ballot records your intent only. When pledging opens, payments will be handled by a third-party payment processor, and we will update this policy and our terms before any money is collected. We do not store full payment card numbers on this website.
Who we share your information with
We share personal information only as needed to run the pilot:
- Service providers. Our website is built and hosted by Nuts and Bolts Marketing, which maintains the site and its servers. We also use providers for email delivery. They may access your information only to perform these services.
- The pledge platform. When pledging opens, we may move your voter record to the platform that processes pledges and gift certificates, so you do not have to start over. That platform will be operated by OurBlock or a provider acting for it.
- Cities and community partners. We may give city officials, economic development groups and chambers of commerce summary reports about community demand, such as vote and pledge totals and trends. These reports do not identify individual people.
- Google reCAPTCHA. Our forms use Google reCAPTCHA to block spam and bots. When you load or submit a form, reCAPTCHA collects hardware and software information, such as device and browser data, and sends it to Google for analysis. See the section on spam protection below.
- Legal reasons. We may disclose information if required by law or to protect the rights and safety of others.
Cookies and analytics
This site uses cookies and similar tools to make pages work and to measure traffic. We use Google Site Kit and Google Analytics to understand which pages are visited and how people find us. Google may set cookies in your browser for this purpose. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, and you can opt out of Google Analytics using the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. Blocking cookies will not stop you from voting.
Spam protection (reCAPTCHA)
We protect our forms with Google reCAPTCHA. Your use of reCAPTCHA is subject to the Google Privacy Policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy and the Google Terms of Service at https://policies.google.com/terms. reCAPTCHA may set cookies and read information from your browser to tell people from automated programs. We use it only to keep spam and abuse out of our forms.
Links and embedded content
Pages on this site may link to or embed content from other websites, such as maps, videos or social media. Those sites may collect data about you, set their own cookies and track how you interact with their content. Their privacy practices are their own, so please review their policies.
How long we keep your information
We keep ballot, submission and contact records for as long as we need them to run the pilot, move to the pledge platform, and meet legal or accounting requirements. After that we delete the records or remove the details that identify you. You can ask us to delete your information sooner at any time.
How we protect your information
We use reasonable safeguards, including secure connections and restricted access, to protect the information we hold. No website or transmission method is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Your choices and rights
You can ask us to tell you what personal information we hold about you, correct it, give you a copy, or delete it. You can also unsubscribe from emails at any time using the link in the message or by contacting us. To make a request, use the contact page on this site and tell us which form you used and the email address you entered. We may need to confirm it is you before we act. We may keep information we are required to keep for legal, security or administrative reasons.
Children
This site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has given us information, contact us and we will delete it.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the pilot grows, including when pledging opens. The date at the top shows when it was last changed.
Contact us
Questions about this policy or your information? Reach us through the contact page at https://ourblock.network.