Petition for an elected mayor
Citizens have the right to petition for a directly elected mayor.
The Local Authorities (Referendums) (Petitions and Directions) Regulations 2000 (as amended) allows a petition to be submitted by 5% (the verification number) of the local government electors shown in the electoral register. If requested, we must hold a referendum to determine whether voters are in favour of establishing an elected mayor.
A notice must be published annually giving the verification number (minimum number of supporters) required to hold the referendum.
The minimum number of supporters required (the ‘verification number’)
We publish the number of people that equals 5% of those registered to vote at a local government election in our area in February each year. This number is calculated from the electoral register.
Between publication of the number and 31 March that same year, one of two figures can be used: the new number or the number published the previous year. Councils must use the lowest number as the verification figure for any petition submitted during this period.
Published number
In accordance with The Local Authority (Petitions) (England) Regulations 2011 (regulation 4) the number that is equal to 5% of the number of local government electors shown in the revised register of electors having effect on 15 February 2026 is 31,708.
| Devon authority | 5% of electors | Address (electoral registration officer) |
|---|---|---|
| North Devon | 3,916 | Lynton House, Commercial Road, Barnstaple EX31 1DG |
| Torridge | 2,715 | Riverbank House, Bideford, Devon EX39 2QG |
| West Devon | 2,191 | Kilworthy Park, Drake Road, Tavistock PL19 0BZ |
| East Devon | 6,301 | Blackdown House, Heathfield Ind Est, Honiton EX14 1EJ |
| Mid Devon | 3,246 | Phoenix House, Phoenix Lane, Tiverton EX16 6PP |
| Teignbridge | 5,328 | Forde House, Brunel Road, Newton Abbot TQ12 4XX |
| South Hams | 3,538 | Follaton House, Plymouth Road, Totnes TQ9 5NE |
| Exeter City | 4,473 | Civic Centre, Paris Street, Exeter EX1 1JN |
| Devon County Council | 31,708 | County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter EX2 4QD |
This figure will have effect for the purposes of determining the validity of petitions presented from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.
The number equal to 5% of the local government electors for 2026 will be published within 14 days of 15 February 2026. If this number is less than the previous year (31,841), the number to be used for verification purposes in relation to any petition submitted for the period beginning on the date of publication of the lower number until Friday 31 March 2026 shall also be that lower number.
Monitoring Officer
Devon County Council
Topsham Road
Exeter
EX2 4QD
Date: 15 February 2026
If you have any questions, please contact members.services@devon.gov.uk.