At Stake in this Election:

On 3 March 2024, Switzerland will hold a referendum consisting of two initiatives related to the state pension system. The first initiative would add a “thirteenth month” of supplemental pension payments to address rising costs of living, while the second would gradually increase the retirement age by 2033.

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.

Information for Voters:

Popular vote on 3 March 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