At stake in this election:

• 200 seats in the National Council (Nationalrat / Conseil National / Consiglio Nazionale)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President of the Confederation Pascal COUCHEPIN
• Head of Government: President of the Confederation Pascal COUCHEPIN
• Assembly: Switzerland has a bicameral Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung / Assemblée 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.

Description of electoral system:

• The President of the Confederation is appointed by the Federal Parliament to serve a 1-year term.
• In the Council of States (Standerat/Conseil des Etats/ Consiglio degli Stati), 6 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies to serve 4-year terms and 40 members are elected by plurality vote in multi-member constituencies to serve 4-year terms*. In the National Council (Nationalrat/Conseil National/Consiglio Nazionale), 195 members are elected by open list proportional representation in multi-member constituencies to serve 4-year terms and 5 members are elected by a plurality system to serve 4-year terms.**

* Single-member districts correspond to the former half-cantons whereas two-seat districts correspond to former full cantons. The electoral system is a two round system, with exception of Jura and Neuchâtel, where it is proportional representation.

** Seats are apportioned to each canton in proportion to its population. Voters have the option of panachage. The electoral system is proportional representation.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC)
  • Leader: Ueli MAURER
  • Seats won in this National Council election: 55
  • Seats won in last National Council election: 45
• Party: Social Democratic Party (SPS)
  • Leader: Christiane BRUNNER
  • Seats won in this National Council election: 52
  • Seats won in last National Council election: 52
• Party: Radical Free Democratic Party (FDP)
  • Leader: Christiane LANGENBERGER
  • Seats won in this National Council election: 36
  • Seats won in last National Council election: 42
• Party: Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP)
  • Leader: Philipp STAEHELIN
  • Seats won in this National Council election: 28
  • Seats won in last National Council election: 35
• Party: Liberal Party (LPS)
  • Leader: Claude RUEY
  • Seats won in this National Council election: N/A
  • Seats won in last National Council election: 6
• Party: Swiss Evangelical Popular Party (EVP)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this National Council election: 4
  • Seats won in last National Council election: N/A
• Party: Green Party (GPS)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this National Council election: 13
  • Seats won in last National Council election: N/A
• Party: Others
  • Seats won in this National Council election: 12
  • Seats won in last National Council election: N/A

Last Parliamentary election:

• Parliamentary elections were last held on October 24, 1999.

Population and registered voters:

• Population: 7,339,001 (2003)
• Registered Voters: 4,708,440 (2003)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 3,751,085 (2003)

·         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: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 50 (National Council); 11 (Council of States) following the 2003 elections

·         Human Development Index Position: 3 (2014)

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

Disability Data:

·         Is Switzerland a signatory to CRPD: No

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

·         Population with a disability: 1,100,850 (est.)