Geneva to lower signature-collection threshold for public votes
Voters in Geneva have backed an initiative to reinforce democratic rights by lowering the number of signatures needed for initiatives and referendums.
The constitutional law aimed at reducing the number of signatures required was approved by 63.2% of voters on Sunday. It was proposed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party and supported by the Geneva Citizens’ Movement and the left.
The number of signatures required is calculated on the basis of a percentage of those with political rights. The amendment reduces the percentages from 3% to 2% for constitutional initiatives and from 2% to 1.5% for legislative initiatives and optional referendums.
+ How the Swiss system of direct democracy works
The number of signatures needed for a constitutional initiative will therefore fall from 8,307 to 5,538. For legislative initiatives and referendums, it will fall from 5,538 to 4,153.
Two previous reductions
Supporters of the measure said Geneva had previously set the bar quite high compared to other cantons. In Zurich, where the population is over 1.5 million, 6,000 citizens can lodge a popular initiative and 3,000 signatures are enough for an optional referendum. Collection times are also longer.
Opponents argued that signature requirements had already been lowered twice, in 2021 and 2017. The Geneva cantonal government was also against lowering the thresholds, which it said could lead to the trivialisation or even the abuse of political rights.
Adapted from French by DeepL/dos
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