How the voting record of citizens’ initiatives changes
The Government has decided on the temporary revision of the COVID-19 ordinance on lists of signatures to be collected for bills in analogy with referendums
At its meeting on May 12, 2021, the Federal Council adopted the complete revision of the ordinance “COVID-19 attestation of voting rights”.
As with signature lists for referendum applications, the new ordinance now also allows signature lists for citizens’ initiative applications to be deposited with or without proof of voting rights.
This time-limited measure goes into effect on May 13, 2021 and implements the amendment to Article 2, paragraph 1 of the COVID-19 Act voted by Parliament in the 2021 spring session.
Stimmrechtsbescheinigung für Unterschriften zu Volksinitiativen in Zeiten der Covid-19-Epidemie (in German)
Attestation des signatures à l’appui des initiatives populaires pendant l’épidémie de COVID-19 (in French)
Attestazione delle firme a sostegno delle iniziative popolari durante l’epidemia di COVID-19 (in Italian)
Slackening between May 13 and November 30, 2021
This temporary relaxation regarding the attestation of voting rights applies to all citizens’ initiatives that will be filed between May 13, 2021 and November 30, 2021.
With respect to referendum applications, the ordinance continues to apply to regulatory acts subject to referendum whose referendum deadline begins to run between March 30, 2021 and July 31, 2021.
The ordinance “COVID-19 attestation of voting rights” provides that committees collecting signatures may file their signature lists with the Federal Chancellery without being accompanied by attestations of voting rights.
However, the signatures must be deposited with the Federal Chancellery in accordance with the collection deadlines set out in the Federal Constitution.
In addition, popular initiatives must always be deposited en bloc in accordance with article 71 paragraph 1 of the Political Rights Act (LDP; RS 161.1).
Articles 62 and 70 of the LDP also remain applicable: the signature lists must therefore normally be sent by hand to the service responsible under cantonal law for certifying the right to vote.
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Gradually a clear idea of the number of valid signatures collected
This procedure is also in the interest of the committees, because it is only by obtaining the certificates of voting rights that they can gradually gain an accurate idea of the number of valid signatures collected.
The Federal Chancellery will obtain the certificates of voting rights from the communes if the number of signatures it has received without a certificate could determine the success of the referendum or the citizens’ initiative, i.e. if at least 50,000 or 100,000 signatures have been deposited but fewer than 50,000 or 100,000 certificates of voting rights respectively.
The Federal Chancellery may transmit to the communes, for certification, as many lists of signatures as are necessary to establish the success of the referendum or citizens’ initiative.
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Four optional referendums from the successful process
The previous COVID-19 attestation of voting rights ordinance was effective October 8, 2020. Since then, four optional referendums have been filed and have been successful.
For two of them, the one against the COVID-19 ordinance and the one against the Federal Law on Police Measures to Combat Terrorism, the Federal Chancellery procured attestations of voting rights from the municipalities after the referendum deadline so that the quorum of 50,000 signatures could be reached.
The procedure introduced by this ordinance went smoothly and without any major problems.
The other two referendum applications were filed with the required number of attested signatures.
COVID-19-Verordnung Stimmrechtsbescheinigung (in german)
Stimmrechtsbescheinigung für Unterschriften zu Volksinitiativen in Zeiten der COVID-19-Epidemie (in german)
Ordonnance COVID-19 attestation de la qualité d’électeur (in french)
Explications relatives à l’ordonnance COVID-19 attestation de la qualité délecteur (in french)
Ordinanza COVID-19 attestazione del diritto di voto (in italian)
Spiegazioni relative all’ordinanza COVID-19 attestazione diritto voto (in italian)
