Swiss Confederation: Referendum, 25 September 2016

At stake in this referendum:

• This referendum includes 3 provisions: two popular initiatives and one new federal law.

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Johann SCHNEIER-AMMANN (since 1 January 2016)[1]
• Head of Government: President Johann SCHNEIER-AMMANN (since 1 January 2016)
• Assembly: Switzerland has a bicameral Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung/Assemblee Federale/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.

Electoral requirements:

• Switzerland has two types of referendums, optional and mandatory. Optional referendums only require a simple majority of valid votes cast, while mandatory referendums require a double majority in valid votes cast and the majority of cantons.

Main provisions in the referendum:

• Popular initiative: “For a sustainable and resource-efficient economy (Green Economy)”
  • This initiative will determine if new regulations on resource efficiency and consumption will be introduced. 
  • “Do you want to accept the popular initiative ‘For a sustainable and resource-efficient economy (Green Economy)’?”
• Popular initiative: “OASIplus: for a decent old-age pension”
  • This initiative seeks to increase pension payments from the Old-Age and Survivors’ Insurance (OASI) by 10%.
  • “Do you want to accept the popular initiative ‘OASIplus: for a decent old-age pension’?”
• Mandatory Referendum: Federal Act on the Intelligence Service (Intelligence Service Act, ISA)
  • The new federal act provides the Federal Intelligence Service with up-to-date means for gathering information, but only following strict conditions.
  • “Do you want to accept the updates to the 25 September 2016 Intelligence Service Act, ISA?”

Population and number of registered voters:

·         Population: 8,121,830 (July 2015 est.)

·         Registered Voters: 5,325,848 (June 2016)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 4,117,322 (July 2015 est.)

·         Is Switzerland a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (23 January 1987)

·         Has Switzerland ratified CEDAW: Yes (27 March 1997)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: N/A

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 73 (29.67%)[2]

·         Human Development Index Position: 3 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is Switzerland a signatory to CRPD: N/A

·         Has Switzerland ratified CRPD: Yes, Accession (15 April 2014)

·         Population with a disability: 1,218,275