IFES Election Guide - Election Profile for Switzerland

Election Profile:

Overview

Results

Of Interest/Links

Sources

Country: Switzerland
Official Name: Swiss Confederation
Election Type: Referendum
Date: March 11, 2012

Source for election date

At stake in this Referendum:

A referendum on five provisions.

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: President Eveline WIDMER-SCHLUMF *
Head of Government: President Eveline WIDMER-SCHLUMF
Assembly: Switzerland has a bicameral Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung/Assemblée Fédérale/Assemblea Federale) consisting of the Council of States (Standerat/Conseil des Etats/ Consiglio degli Stati) with 46 seats and the National Council (Nationalrat/Conseil National/Consiglio Nazionale) with 200 seats.

* The Federal Presidency rotates among members of the Federal Council, which is the formal chief of state.

Description of electoral system:

The President is appointed by parliament to serve a 1-year term.
In the Council of States (Standerat/Conseil des Etats/ Consiglio degli Stati), 6 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies to serve 4-year terms and 20 members are elected by plurality vote in multi-member constituencies to serve 4-year terms*. In the National Council (Nationalrat/Conseil National/Consiglio Nazionale), 195 members are elected by open list proportional representation in multi-member constituencies to serve 4-year terms and 5 members are elected by a plurality system to serve 4-year terms.**

* Single-member districts correspond to half-cantons. The electoral system is first-past-the-post. Two-seat districts correspond to full cantons. The electoral system is MNTV.

** Seats are apportioned to each canton or half-canton in proportion to its population. Voters have the option of panachage. In single-member districts, this is effectively a first-past-the-post system.

Main provisions in the Referendum:

A provision to mandate six weeks of vacation for everyone.
A provision to end to the limitless construction of secondary houses.
A provision for tax-supported building society savings to buy living space for self-use and to finance energy saving and environmental measures.
A provision on the proposed new Fixed Book Price Agreement.
A provision on enshrining in the constitution that state earnings from gambling have to be used for the public interest.