The Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) (Amendment) Order 2026

Explanatory note

Reproduced verbatim from the instrument as published on legislation.gov.uk (Crown Copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0). The note is prepared by the responsible government department and is not part of the instrument itself.

The Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) Order 2017 ( S.I. 2017/67 , “the 2017 Order”) makes provision for the conduct of elections of combined authority mayors and combined county authority mayors.

Section 63 of, and Schedule 30 to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 (c. 26) changes the voting system at elections for combined authority mayors and combined county authority mayors in England from the simple majority vote system, also known as “first past the post”, to the supplementary vote system. As a consequence of the amendments made by that section to the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 (c. 20) and the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (c. 55) this Order amends the 2017 Order Rules to replace provisions relating to the simple majority vote system for the election of combined authority mayors and combined county authority mayors with provisions which will provide for the supplementary vote system for those elections, largely reversing changes made by the Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) (Amendment) Order 2022 ( S.I. 2022/1353 ).

An impact assessment has been produced for the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 including an Addendum on the “supplementary vote” provision. No, or no significant, impact on business, charities or the public or voluntary sector is foreseen. Copies can be obtained at https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/4002/publications or from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF.