Elections
Elections to the Federal Assembly are held every four years. Voters aim to elect the 246 members of parliament that best represent their views. They have a large number of candidates from a wide range of parties from which to choose.
Elections to the National Council
Elections to the National Council are federal elections. The provisions of the Federal Act on Political Rights apply in all cantons.
Right to vote and to be elected
Swiss
citizens over the age of 18 are eligible to vote: not only can they vote for the
members of the National Council (right to vote), they can also stand for
election to the National Council (right to be elected).
Elections based on proportional representation
Elections to the National Council in
most cantons are based on a system of proportional representation: seats are
allocated in proportion to the number of votes each party or party list receives.
Election guide
An
election guide explains how to complete and return the official ballot papers
correctly in cantons with more than one seat in the National Council. Every
voter is sent the guide, which is also available online.
Dates
The most recent federal elections were held on 20 October 2019.
The next elections to the National Council and (in the most cantons) the Council of States will be held on 22 October 2023.
Elections to the Council of States
Elections to the Council of States are governed by cantonal law: each canton has its own rules on who is eligible to vote, when elections are held, what the election procedure is and how ballot papers are completed. However, the following rules are the same in all 26 cantons: elections to the Council of States are held every four years and candidates for election to the Council of States must be at least 18 years old and hold Swiss citizenship.
Elections based on the simple majority system
Elections to the Council of States in
almost every canton are based on the simple majority system: the person who receives
the most votes is elected.
Absolute majority: the person who receives more than half of all the votes cast is elected.
Relative majority: the person who receives more votes than any of the other candidates is elected.
Examples of cantonal differences
In the canton
of Glarus, Swiss citizens aged 16 and 17 can also vote in elections to the
Council of States. Candidates for the Council of States must be under the age
of 65. In Appenzell Innerrhoden, voters elect their member of the Council of
States at an outdoor assembly (‘the Landsgemeinde’), which is always held in
the April before the elections to the National Council. In the cantons of Jura and Neuchatel, a system of proportional
representation is used, while in the other cantons the simple majority system applies. Swiss citizens living abroad are only eligible to vote in certain cantons.
Parties from left to right
In the elections to the Swiss Parliament, there are quite a number of parties to choose from, some very different from others. They differ from each other in their views on the role of the state, society and the economy.
Whereas left-wing parties (SP, the Greens) favour a highly developed social state, right-of-centre parties (FDP, SVP) advocate a liberal economic policy and personal responsibility. Certain political issues are neither distinctly left nor right-wing, i.e. environmental protection, the question of how open Switzerland should be towards the EU and international organisations, and issues regarding liberal values (e.g. same-sex partnerships). Depending on the issue, centre parties (e.g. ‘The Centre’, previously the CVP) will cooperate with either left or right-wing parties.
Political parties help to form political opinion, nominate candidates for public office and launch initiatives and referendums. Parties differ from each another in their views on the role of the state, society and the economy
What does ‘left-wing’ mean?
A strong social state that levels social disparities
Emphasis on workers’ interests
Price controls, public services
More peace policy, less military
What does ‘right-wing’ mean?
Freedom and personal responsibility; the state intervenes only where absolutely necessary
Emphasis on employers’ interests
Free enterprise, economic incentives
Strong national defence
Party strengths (shares of the vote in elections to the National Council 2019)
Elections are decisive
Even in Switzerland
most issues are decided by Parliament or the government. However, between the
elections in 2015 and 2019, the electorate was called on to vote on 33 specific
proposals. In the same period, Parliament passed 464 laws, including 134 federal acts and 94 federal
decrees. It also elected the government, the members of the federal
courts and the Attorney General.
