Polls close on the £180,000 question: will there be an elected mayor for Bath and North East Somerset
Polls have now closed on a vote which could see another elected mayor position created in the South West.
It offers people in Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) the chance to change the way the local authority is run. [Currently Bath and North East Somerset Council is led by a leader elected by councillors](http://D-Day: Is the West about to get one more elected mayor?), with a team of senior cabinet members to help make decisions for the region.
If the people of BANES vote to change this to an elected mayor, the people will choose who runs the cabinet, and the chosen man or woman will take on a more authoritative role like that of Bristol's George Ferguson or London's Boris Johnson.
The ballot question:
This referendum - which is expected to return a result at around 2am (Friday 11 March) has cost the council around £180,000. It came after the pro-mayor campaign group submitted a petition with thousands of signatures - over 5% of the electorate.
If voters return a yes tonight then another vote to decide who this directly elected mayor will be will take place in October this year.
Another referendum to return to the old system of council leadership won't take place for another ten years.