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Can foreigners vote in the Swiss parliamentary elections?

On October 22nd, the Swiss will elect 246 MPs, for both the lower and upper houses of the Federal Assembly. But can foreign nationals cast their votes as well?

Published: 4 October 2023 12:38 CEST
Can foreigners vote in the Swiss parliamentary elections?
A woman casts an envelope containing her ballot in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

Unlike referendums, which take place three to four times a year in Switzerland, federal elections, when people elect their representatives to the National Council and the Council of States (both of which form the Federal Assembly, as the parliament is known), happen only once every four years.

READ ALSO: What you should know about Switzerland’s upcoming federal elections

When the voters head to the polls on October 22nd, will foreigners be among them?

Actually, to be exact, very few people actually ‘head to the polls’ on the day of the election.

The vast majority cast their votes by mail ahead of time, using the ballots that every Swiss-citizen household receives ahead of time.

The same procedure applies to all voting events — that is, municipal, cantonal or national referendums.

The official ‘election day’, October 22nd, is when all the votes are counted and made public.

Regarding foreigners, they will not be able to cast their votes in the election — only Swiss citizens have this right.

This may seem unfair, as many foreign nationals have lived in Switzerland for a long time, and —some argue — should have a say in the political process that impacts their lives as well.

However, this is not an exclusively ‘Swiss’ exclusion, as many countries grant voting rights in federal elections to citizens only.

As many legislators have been pointing out, if a foreigner has lived in the country for long enough to want to participate in politics, they should apply for Swiss citizenship.

(Both naturalised  citizens and dual nationals are considered Swiss, so they have all the voting rights).

Can foreign residents vote in referendums?
 
The answer depends on the place of residence and the type of referendums.

In certain cantons and communities, foreigners are allowed to vote at a cantonal and municipal level on local issues. 

The cantons of Fribourg, Vaud, Neuchâtel and Jura permit non-citizens to vote, elect officials, and stand for election at communal level. Conditions vary from one canton to another, but in most cases, a certain length of stay and/or a residence permit are required.

In Vaud, for instance, where 30 percent of the population is foreign, immigrants can run for or sit on the communal or town council, as well as sign an initiative or a communal referendum.

READ ALSO: What’s at stake for foreign citizens in Switzerland’s parliamentary elections?
 
 
 

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POLITICS

Could Geneva be first Swiss canton to grant foreign residents more voting rights?

Voters in the country’s most "international" canton Geneva will soon have their say on whether non-Swiss citizens living in their midst should have more political rights.

Published: 29 April 2024 12:19 CEST
Could Geneva be first Swiss canton to grant foreign residents more voting rights?

Foreigners are not allowed to vote on national level anywhere in Switzerland.

Though there had been attempts in the past to change this rule, the latest such move was turned down by legislators in 2022.

However, five cantons are permitting foreign residents to cast their votes in local referendums and elections: Geneva, Vaud, Fribourg, Neuchâtel, and Jura. Conditions vary from one canton to another, but in all cases a certain length of stay and a residence permit are required.

(In Zurich, a similar move was rejected in 2023).

Of the five cantons, only Neuchâtel and Jura authorise foreign residents to vote on cantonal level in addition to communal one; in the others, they can cast municipal ballots only. 

Additionally, three other cantons have similar laws on their books, but they this legislation remains mostly inactive.

Basel-City, Graubünden, and Appenzell-Ausserrhoden have authorised their communes to introduce the right to vote, the right to elect, and the right to be elected for their non-Swiss residents. 

However, only few of the communes in these cantons have actually introduced these measures.

Wait…Geneva’s foreigners already have the right to vote?

Yes, they have had this right since 2005, but only on municipal level.

However, this could change on June 9th, when Geneva residents will go to the polls to weigh in on an initiative launched by the trade unions and political left, calling for foreigners who have lived in the canton for at least eight years, to be able to vote and stand as candidates for political offices at the cantonal level.

This ‘upgrade’ to the cantonal voting rights is important, supporters argue, because it would enable foreigners to have more political impact.

“Municipal votes are quite rare, and the issues at stake are relatively limited,” the initiative committee said.

Therefore, “access to the cantonal vote will allow these same people to express their views on wider subjects that affect them on a daily basis.”

Is this  measure likely to be accepted?

No reliable forecasts exist at this point.

And while foreigners constitute nearly 40 percent of Geneva’s population — the highest proportion in Switzerland —  it will be up to Swiss citizens to decide on the outcome.

However, some members of the Geneva parliament are urging the ‘no’ vote on June 9th.

“No canton, no country, provides such generous rights to their foreigners,” the MPs from the centre parties pointed out in an interview with Tribune de Genève over the weekend.

(Neuchâtel and Jura allow voting, but not standing for election, at cantonal level).

“The only path for foreigners to obtain full political rights is through naturalisation,” the MPs added.

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