The referendum

General

Every legislative resolution passed by Parliament that it does not declare to be urgent, as well as every financial resolution that Parliament does not declare to be urgent, provided that it gives rise to a one-time new expenditure of at least 500,000 francs or an annually recurring new expenditure of 250,000 francs, is subject to a popular vote (optional referendum)

Within 30 days of the official announcement of the relevant Landtag resolution, at least 1,000 citizens entitled to vote or at least three municipalities may submit a request for a referendum in the form of concurring municipal assembly resolutions. In the case of the Constitution as a whole or individual parts thereof, or of a resolution of the Diet concerning the approval of an international treaty, this petition must be supported by at least 1,500 citizens entitled to vote or by four municipalities.

Running Referendums

Collective referendums

The signature sheet must contain:

• Municipality: The municipality in which the voters submitting the petition reside;
• Landtagsbeschluss: Precise description of the Landtag resolution on which to vote;
• Beginning date: The start date of the collection of signatures;
• Notarization: Sufficient space must be provided on the signature sheet for the certification of the signatures by the municipal administration;

Each person entitled to vote shall provide the following information:

• Date of signature;
• first name and surname;
• exact address;
• own signature;

Certification by the municipality

The eligibility of the signatories to vote must be certified by the municipal authority of the municipality in which the same exercise their political Legal Division. The verification by the municipality shall be confirmed by signature and municipal stamp. The municipality also confirms the total number of valid signatures on each sheet.

The certification by the municipality must be made within the referendum period. It is free of charge.

Since the verification and certification of the signature sheets takes a certain amount of time and only the head of the municipality or their deputy is allowed to carry out the certification, we recommend contacting the municipalities as early as possible, especially during school vacations.

Review of requests and publication

The government examines the submissions received from the petitioners for their legality and determines the number of signatures. The result is published. If the petition for a referendum has been validly submitted, the government shall order a referendum within 14 days at the latest, which shall be held within three months.

Further information

Law on the Exercise of the Political Rights of the People in National Matters