Votes

The electorate decides on political issues up to four times a year. Votes are held on popular initiatives and on certain parliamentary decisions, in most cases having to do with constitutional or legislative amendments.

Changing the Constitution or putting a stop to a new law

Changing the Constitution
In Switzerland, every amendment to the Constitution must be put to a vote (mandatory referendum) – whether the proposed amendment was passed by Parliament or put forward by popular initiative. For a new constitutional article to come into force, the consent of a majority of the People (popular majority) and the cantons (majority of the cantons) is needed ( double majority). A popular vote is also ‘mandatory’ for Switzerland to join an organisation for collective security or a supranational community (e.g. the UN or the EU). Switzerland can only join such an organisation or community if a double majority is achieved.

Swiss citizens aged 18 and over are eligible to vote and may cast their ballots in federal votes.

Putting a stop to a new law
If Parliament passes a new law or approves an international treaty, those eligible to vote may request a referendum against it (optional referendum). If they are successful, a referendum is held in which the law or treaty in question is put to a vote. A majority of voters must approve the law or referendum for it to come into force (simple majority).

Information

Explanatory pamphlets are sent by post to eligible voters
‘VoteInfo’ app
www.admin.ch
www.ch.ch/democracy
Explanatory videos

Instruments of direct democracy

Popular initiative
Anyone who has the right to vote in Switzerland can launch or sign a popular initiative to amend the Constitution. For a vote to be held on a popular initiative, 100,000 valid signaturesmust be collected within a period of 18 months.

Popular initiatives were introduced at federal level in 1891. 228 have been voted on since then. 25 have been accepted.

As of 31 December 2023, 22 initiatives were at the signature- gathering stage, 9 were pending before the Federal Council or Parliament and 6 were ready to be put to a vote.

Optional referendum
To bring a decision made by Parliament to a vote (e.g. to stop a new law from passing), anyone who has the right to vote can launch an optional referendum. To do so, they must collect 50,000 valid signatures within 100 days. An optional referendum is also held upon request by eight cantons (‘referendum requested by the cantons’).

The optional referendum was introduced in 1874. 211 have been held since then; 87 of the proposals were rejected by voters. As of 31 December 2023, the referendum period was running for 16 federal acts and decrees. Signatures were being gathered for a vote on 4 proposals.

Effects of initiatives and referendums
Even if most initiatives fail and only very few laws are stopped by a referendum, these two instruments can still have a major impact:
· They lead to public discussions on the topics they involve.
· They can influence legislation: groups that are likely to launch a referendum are taken into consideration in the drafting of new laws.
· The Federal Council and Parliament will sometimes make counter-proposals to initiatives, to address the initiative’s concerns in a different way.

2024 voting dates

Votes are scheduled to take place on the following Sundays in 2024: 3 March, 9 June, 22 September and 24 November

Videos on proposals submitted to the vote of the People

Number of people entitled to play a part in political life as a proportion of the overall population

Votes held in 2022/2023

18 June 2023

OECD/G20 project on the taxation of large corporate groups

Yes 78,5%

Climate Act

Yes 59,1%

COVID-19 Act

Yes 64.9%

25 September 2022

Popular Initiative ‘Say no to factory farming in Switzerland’

No 62.9%

Supplementary financing of OASI

Yes 55.1%

Reform of Old Age and Survivors’ Insurance (AHV 21)

Yes 50.6%

Amendment to the Federal Act on Withholding Tax

No 52%

15 May 2022

Amendment of the Film Act

Yes 58.4%

Amendment of the Transplantation Act

Yes 60.2%

Adoption of EU Regulation on the European Border and Coast Guard

Yes 71.5%

13 February 2022

Popular Initiative 'Yes to a ban on animal and human experiments – Yes to research that brings safety and progress'

No 79.1%

Popular Initiative ‘Yes to protecting children and young adults from tobacco advertising (No tobacco ads for children and young adults)’

Yes 56.7%

Amendment of the Federal Act on Stamp Duty

No 62.6%

Federal Act on a Package of Measures to Support the Media

No 54.6%

App «VoteInfo»: Information regarding federal and cantonal votes