A council is calling on the cost to stand in Hampshire’s first regional mayor election to be lowered.

East Hampshire District Council also adopted a formal position of supporting a move away from the first past the post system when the mayoral combined county authority (MCCA) is formed next year.

The two elements of a motion tabled by Green Party councillor James Hogan were backed at a full council meeting on Thursday, April 24.

As part of the devolution priority programme, a new MCCA will be created for the region, with an elected mayor having a raft of powers, likely to include skills, transport and strategic planning, from May 2026.

Funding will be transferred down from Westminster to the authority.

Horndean Downs ward representative Cllr Hogan said previous metro mayor elections in other parts of the country required a £5,000 deposit to stand, with an additional £5,000 to appear in an official booklet produced ahead of polling day.

He told colleagues this presented a “serious barrier” for potential candidates.

“It deters grassroots candidates, independents and anyone without the big party backing,” Cllr Hogan said

“I’m saying democracy should not be pay to play.

“There are better ways to ensure that we get serious candidacies like requiring a set number of voters’ signatures.”

While this part of the motion was backed by an overwhelming number of councillors, the aspected relating to using a “fairer voting system such as supplementary vote” was carried by a slim majority.

Cllr Hogan said using first past the post risked having a successful candidate who received less than 20 per cent of the vote.

“That’s simply not a mandate, so the motion asks we choose a fairer voting system,” he added.

First past the post involves residents voting for only one candidate.

Under supplementary vote, electors can cast a second preference vote alongside a first preference. If a resident’s first preference is not one of the top two candidates after the first round of counting, their vote is reassigned based on their second preference.

This system was previously used for police and crime commissioner elections, however, this reverted to first past the post last year.

Several Conservative councillors spoke in opposition to the voting element of the motion.

Cllr Charlene Maines, who represents Rowlands Castle, said: “I don’t think that we have any impact on changing the voting systems.

“I do understand your points but again looking at it, realistically are we going to make a change? No.”

Council leader Cllr Richard Millard said the cost of running in an election should not be an inhibiting factor for anyone, but the voting system request was difficult to support.

The successful motion means the council will call for the cost of standing in the mayoral election to be lowered and support the reintroduction of a “fairer voting system such as supplementary vote”.

The local authority requested formal support from the leader of Hampshire County Council, the relevant minister at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and local MPs Greg Stafford (Farnham and Bordon) and Damian Hinds (East Hampshire).