At stake in this referendum:

• Voters will vote on two popular initiatives. 

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Simonetta SOMMARUGA*
• Head of Government: President  Simonetta SOMMARUGA
• Assembly: Switzerland has a bicameral Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung/Assemblée Fédérale/Assemblea Federale) consisting of the Council of States (Ständerat/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 the 7 members of the Federal Council, which is the formal chief of state. Presently the Federal Council consists of Doris LEUTHARD, Eveline WIDMER-SCHLUMPF, Ueli MAURER, Didier BURKHALTER, Simonetta SOMMARUGA, Johan SCHNEIDER—AMMANN, and Alain BERSET.

Main provisions in the referendum:

• Poll question: “Do you want the popular initiative ‘to strengthen families! Tax-free child and education allowances’?” [1]
  • Note: “The initiative calls for additional tax relief for families with children. To this end, child and education allowances to be exempt from income tax.”[2]
• Poll question: “Do you want the popular initiative ‘Energy instead of VAT’?”[3]
  • Note: “The initiative calls for the introduction of a tax on non-renewable energy. The increase in the cost of energy consumption will be offset by the abolition of VAT.”[4]

Results:

• Strengthen families initiative: Submission rejected[5]
  • Turnout: 2,210,891
  • Valid: 2,187,904
  • Invalid: 22,987
  • Yes: 537,795 (24.6%)
  • No: 1,650,109 (75.4%)
• Energy initiative: Submission rejected[6]
  • Turnout: 2,210,121
  • Valid: 2,185,731
  • Invalid: 24,390
  • Yes: 175,405 (8.0%)
  • No: 2,010,326 (92.0%)

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 8,256,000[7]
• Registered voters: 5,254,965[8]

Gender Data:

• Female Population: 4,171,800[9]
• Is SWITZERLAND a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (23 January 1987)[10]
• Has SWITZERLAND ratified CEDAW: Yes (27 March 1997)[11]
• Gender Quota: No, but there are voluntary quotas adopted by political parties[12]
• Female Candidates in this election: N/A
• Number of Female Legislators: 57 (28%) of 200 seats in the National Council (Nationalrat/ Conseil National/ Consiglio Nazionale)[13]
• Human Development Index (HDI) Position: 3[14]
• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A[15]

Disability Data:

• Is SWITZERLAND a signatory to CRPD: N/A[16]
• Has SWITZERLAND ratified CRPD: Yes (15 April 2014)[17]
• Population with a disability: 1,199,404[18]