Policy Background Simple Majority Voting (‘First Past the Post’)
Under current legislation, elections for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales, the Mayor of London, combined authority mayors and local authority mayors in England are held using the Supplementary Vote system where there are more than two candidates. Under this system voters have a first and second preference vote. If a candidate receives more than 50 percent of the first preference votes they are elected. If no candidate reaches a majority at the first stage, all but the two candidates with the most votes are eliminated and the second preference votes of voters whose first preference vote was cast for the eliminated candidates are allocated to the remaining candidates. The candidate with the most (first preference + second preference) votes is elected.
	Under Simple Majority voting, also known as the "First Past the Post" voting system, voters have a single vote and the candidate who wins the most votes is elected. First Past the Post is used to elect Members of Parliament and local councillors in England and also applies in PCC and mayoral elections where there are only two candidates.
	The Conservative Party 2019 Manifesto included the following commitment: "We will continue to support the First Past the Post system of voting, as it allows voters to kick out politicians who don’t deliver, both locally and nationally." Similar commitments favouring First Past the Post were included in the 2017 Manifesto: "We will retain the first past the post system of voting for parliamentary elections and extend this system to police and crime commissioner and mayoral elections", and in the 2015 Manifesto: "We will respect the will of the British people, as expressed in the 2011 referendum, and keep First Past the Post for elections to the House of Commons." The 2011 Referendum asked voters whether or not the system for electing Members of Parliament should be changed from First Past the Post to the Alternative Vote; 67.9% of voters voted to retain First Past the Post.
	The Home Secretary set out findings from the first part of the Home Office’s two-part Review into the role of PCCs in a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament on 16 March 2021. The Statement included the following commitment: "In line with the Government’s manifesto position in favour of First Past the Post, which provides for strong and clear local accountability, and reflects that transferable voting systems were rejected by the British people in the 2011 nationwide referendum, the Home Office will work with the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to change the voting system for all Combined Authority Mayors, the Mayor of London and PCCs to First Past the Post. This change will require primary legislation, which we will bring forward when Parliamentary time allows." Part One of the Review collated views and evidence from stakeholders across policing, fire and local government as well as voluntary and community organisations. Through polling and focus groups, the Review also took account of public views and opinions.
	The Act changes the voting system used for electing PCCs, the Mayor of London and combined authority mayors from the Supplementary Vote system to First Past the Post. To ensure consistency in the voting system used for electing all directly-elected mayors in England, and deliver manifesto commitments, the voting system for electing local authority mayors in England is also changed to First Past the Post.