At Stake in this Election:

On 6 June 2024, Switzerland will hold a referendum consisting of four initiatives on health insurance, healthcare costs, consent in healthcare, and renewable energy. The first initiative aims to reduce health insurance costs to beneficiaries by capping premiums and having the federal government pay two-thirds of the cost difference. The second initiative has the same goal as the first but only specifies that the federal government should work with the cantons and insurance providers to set maximum premiums based on salary and economic growth. The third initiative aims to establish that people should not be punished for refusing medical treatments that impact the body or mind. The fourth initiative aims to encourage renewable energy production via new regulations on the production, delivery, and consumption of electricity.

Government Structure:

• Chief of State: President Alain BERSET (since 1 January 2023)
• Head of Government: President Alain BERSET (since 1 January 2023)
• Assembly: bicameral Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) with a 46-seat Council of States (Ständerat) and a 200-seat National Council (Nationalrat)

Electoral System:

• The President is elected from among the Federal Council by vote of the Federal Assembly. The President serves 1-year, non-consecutive terms.
• The Federal Council is indirectly elected by the Federal Assembly, and members serve 4-year terms.
• In the Council of States, 42 members are directly elected by absolute majority vote, and 4 members (from Jura and Neuchâtel cantons) are directly elected by list proportional representation vote. Member term lengths vary by constituency (canton).
• In the National Council, 194 members are directly elected by proportional representation vote, and 6 are directly elected by plurality vote. All members serve 4-year terms.

Last Election:

On 3 March 2024, Switzerland held a referendum on initiatives related to the state pension system: addition of a "13th month" of payments and gradual shifts in the retirement age. Voter turnout was 58%.

Information for Voters:

Popular vote on 9 June 2024 (in German, French, Italian, Romansch, and English)

Key Deadlines:

• Voter registration deadline: N/A; Switzerland uses a passive, residence-based voter registration system.

Population and Registered Voters:

• Population: 8,563,760 (2023 est.)
• Registered Voters: 5,583,221 (2023)

Gender Data:

• Female Population: 4,325,131 (2023 est.)
• CEDAW Status: Signed 23 January 1987, Ratified 27 March 1997
• Gender Quota: No
• Female Candidates in this election: Yes
• Number of Female Legislators (pre-election): 16 out of 46 (35%) in the Council of States and 77 out of 200 (39%) in the National Council
• Human Development Index (HDI) Position: 0.962, Very High, Rank 1 (2022)
• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: 9.9 (2023)

Disability Data:

• CRPD Status: Ratified (by accession) 15 April 2014
• Projected population with a disability: 1,284,564 (2023 est.)

IFES Resources:

• Does IFES have a presence in Switzerland: No
• Election Access: Yes
• Election Judgements: Yes, 5 judgments and 13 resources