East Suffolk governance arrangements petition figure

Number of signatures required on a petition for a referendum on whether the East Suffolk Council should change its governance arrangements

The council is required, by the Local Government Act 2000, to publish the minimum number of signatures which would be needed to support a valid petition requiring the council to hold a referendum on whether or not the East Suffolk Council should start to operate the mayor and cabinet executive or committee system.

The minimum number of signatures (equivalent to 5% of the Council’s local government electorate) is 9,705.

The above number will apply to any petition submitted to East Suffolk Council before 1 April 2026. However, a new number will be published in February 2026 and if the new number is less than 9,705, then the new number will apply from the date it is published.

Chris Bally | Electoral Registration Officer | East Suffolk Council