In the House of Representatives, which represents the people, all 200 seats are up for grabs.
All 26 cantons are voting, but the system of proportional representation means the more populous cantons are allotted more seats. Zurich, for example, gets 34 seats but six small cantons receive only one seat each. In these six cantons, the winner takes it all.
In the Senate, which represents the cantons, 44 of 46 seats are being elected (Appenzell Inner Rhodes and Nidwalden voted earlier in the year.)
Each of Switzerland’s 20 full cantons elect two senators; the six half-cantons each elect one. The system is majoritarian (first-past-the-post – apart from in Neuchâtel and Jura), but if a candidate doesn’t receive an absolute majority (50 per cent plus one vote), a run-off election is required at a later date. Eight run-offs were needed in 2007.
Cabinet elections are on December 14. The seven ministers are elected in a joint session by both chambers of parliament.
swissinfo’s Thomas Stephens is in Bern, following all the twists and turns of the 2011 parliamentary elections.
If you have any questions or comments, send them to english@swissinfo.ch
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Everything in moderation
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Shifts of a few percentage points translate into slight gains or losses of seats in parliament, but rarely do these musical chairs reach double figures. Such is the case today. The latest provisional figures, released at 9pm, show that the biggest loser, in percentage points, is the rightwing Swiss People’s Party, which dropped from 28.9%…
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A Facebook site was started by a young voter who wanted to “put an end to the ‘old people’s home’ parliament”. “Don’t vote for an official candidate – write ‘Roger Federer, Wollerau, tennis player’ on your ballot paper,” he urged, citing Federer’s “sporting ability, team spirit, humour and modesty” as ideal qualities in a candidate.…
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Just days before the parliamentary election, the missing mascot of the Swiss People’s Party was found painted black alongside another goat and tied to a tree in a village near Zurich. But the People’s Party might want to consider a new lucky charm: according to provisional results on Sunday evening voters have shifted their support…
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Soon after entering parliament, Hämmerle received an invitation from a women’s parliamentary group welcoming the fact that Graubünden now also had a woman politician. Andrea Hämmerle is male. Despite that slight blip, the situation for women in the Swiss parliament is going in the right direction (although considering women only got the vote in 1971,…
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In a provisional projection of the 200-seat House of Representatives released at 7pm, the big winners were, as expected, the two new parties, the Conservative Democrats and the Liberal Greens, each gaining nine seats. The former split from the rightwing Swiss People’s Party in 2007 and the latter, a more business-friendly version of the…
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Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once said she “wouldn’t tolerate any minister of mine wearing a beard” – something about men with facial hair having something to hide. Fulvio Pelli, the stubbly 60-year-old Radical president from Lugano, has said he’ll shave off his beard if his party gets 25 per cent of the vote.…
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Sadly I couldn’t try my luck as those running for parliament have to be Swiss, at least 18 and not certifiably insane. I fall down on at least one of them. It does, however, raise an interesting question: what role do good looks play in Swiss politics? The general feeling – backed up here in…
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Polls are generally considered a reasonable indicator of how the public intends to vote, however they are far from infallible, as became clear in November 2009 when voters accepted by 57 per cent a nationwide ban on the construction of minarets that surveys had predicted they would reject by 53 per cent. So if your…
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Well Rita, let me educate you – but without really answering your question. Calls to swissinfo’s election-watchers in Zurich and Bern have drawn a blank – Calmy-Rey – who stands down at the end of the year – has yet to be sighted. But your interest is understandable. Calmy-Rey is no stranger to the fashion pages.…
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1. Will the Pirate Party be able to follow its stunning success in Berlin last month when it attracted 8.5 per cent of the vote, winning its first ever seats in a state parliament? 2. And what about the Greens – six months ago a real “zeitgeist” party after the Fukushima disaster in Japan. To what…
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Zurich – Can controversial People’s Party figurehead Christoph Blocher – deselected from the cabinet in 2007 – knock out either Verena Diener from the Green Liberals or Felix Gutzwiller from the Radicals? Probably not – his combined enemies are stronger than his friends – although the 71-year-old billionaire should succeed in getting into the House…
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How quick are Swiss vote counters? First results are expected to trickle in some time this afternoon – but it’s hard to be precise. At a guess, the smaller cantons such as Uri (pictured), which only has one seat in the House of Representatives, could declare as early as 2pm. First nationwide projections aren’t expected…
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The previous post was in danger of getting a bit heavy, so on a crisp Sunday morning – praise the dawning – let’s lighten things up a bit. Think of Swiss politicians and you might think of secretive, behind-the-scenes dealmakers – although the British swipe at the “gnomes of Zurich” was of course aimed at…
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Electronic voting (e-voting) must be a step in the right direction and this year, for the first time, Swiss citizens will be able to have their say online in a national election. That said, this privilege is limited to about 21,500 Swiss abroad registered in four cantons: Basel City, Aargau, St Gallen and Graubünden. Some…
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Right, the rugby World Cup final’s just finished so you now have my full attention. I’d like to say I’ll be here until the very final vote is counted, but since it can take up to a month for the official election result, that’s unlikely. I will, however, be keeping a beady eye on the…
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
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Electoral bait
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Sweets, pens, hats and toys – all the parties are offering voters some kind of free gift. (Pictures: Martin Rütschi, Keystone)
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.