The people of Moutier have chosen: Canton Jura and no longer Berne

Thanks also to stricter controls than in the 2017 vote, guaranteed by the Confederation, the French-speaking town will change state on the strength of no less than 2114 “yes” votes

On March 28, 2021, the second vote on the cantonal affiliation of Moutier was held, after the 2017 one had been annulled by the Administrative Court of the Canton of Bern due to irregularities in the electoral register and in the campaign for the vote.
There were 2114 “yes” votes for the change, 1740 against. The results, after a nerve-wracking wait, were released at 6 p.m. by the town’s election office.

Karin Keller-Sutter’s trip to the divided town of Moutier

The modalities of the new vote were defined in the framework of the Tripartite Conference, chaired by Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter, head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP), and attended by the delegations of the Governments of the Cantons of Bern and Jura as well as the Municipality of Moutier.
At their request, the Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) also closely monitored this vote and ensured its safe and orderly conduct.

The Federal Council praises the democratic nature of the decision

The Federal Council takes note of the will expressed today by the citizens of Moutier to transfer to the Canton of Jura.
Karin Keller-Sutter, as Minister of Justice, praises the democratic nature of the decision:
“The solution for the Jura question goes down in the history of the country as an example of lived democracy. Today’s free decision by the citizens of Moutier is the final step towards a peaceful resolution of the issue.”

More checks with the help of the Federal Office of Justice.

Compared to 2017, measures to ensure that the vote was conducted according to the rules were strengthened.
The FOJ dispatched voting materials, handed out documentation to particularly vulnerable persons, and sent several election observers to Moutier, who monitored the counting and systematically verified the election certificates.
The Bernese State Chancellery and the Moutier Municipal Chancellery also checked the electoral register very carefully.
The measures taken were approved by the delegations of the Bernese and Jurassic Cantonal Governments as well as by the Municipality of Moutier.

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The final result is theoretically still subject to appeal

The result of the vote is not yet final; it can be appealed before the Prefecture of the Bernese Jura.
If no appeal is lodged or if any appeal is rejected, the two cantons will negotiate a concordat with the practical details of the transfer of Moutier to Canton Jura.

Last step: approval by the Federal Assembly

The agreement will then have to be approved by the citizens of both cantons.
Finally, the approval of the Federal Assembly will be required to complete the transfer of the municipality of Moutier to the Canton of Jura.

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