In the last elections, those with a low rate of participation were young people aged 18-24 years (30%), Swiss of second-generation immigrant origin known as “secondos” (35%), singles (39%) and people earning less than CHF4,000 ($4,000) per month (40%), writes the paper.
Le Matin Dimanche says this is in line with tendencies in other countries, except that in Switzerland only 46% of women voted in the last national elections compared with 53% of men. FORS Director Georg Lutz explains this by saying that when women have children in Switzerland “many stop working or turn part-time and become more concerned with the private sphere”.
He also says one factor alone is not enough to explain all the differences. For example, “people with high salaries and high education have more resources, in the broadest sense of the word, to follow policy, inform themselves and understand how the system works”, the paper quotes him as saying. And while 20% of Swiss people never vote, 20% to 25% do so each time, according to Nenad Stojanovic, a professor at the University of Geneva.
Le Matin Dimanche notes several campaigns to get more young people to vote, such as the easyvote programmeExternal link which aims to raise turnout among the 18 to 25-year old citizens in votes and elections to 40%. The paper says the climate strikes and youth concern about environmental issues could make a difference, but it remains to be seen if such campaigns have paid off.
More
More
Who can vote in Switzerland? Who can’t?
This content was published on
Ahead of parliamentary elections on October 20, swissinfo.ch looks at the third of the Swiss resident population that is disenfranchised.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
This content was published on
TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
This content was published on
The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
This content was published on
China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
Green parties consolidate gains in latest Swiss election poll
This content was published on
Environmentalist groups have continued to win support while the right looks set to lose ground according to the latest SBC election barometer.
Can Greta’s generation make a mark on Swiss politics?
This content was published on
Climate change protests spearheaded by a Swedish teen have energised Swiss youth. Can such political participation carry over into the elections?
Don’t trust political journalists, Swiss youth say
This content was published on
Young citizens in Switzerland appear to lose interest in political information and trust in media is waning according to an opinion poll.
This content was published on
Switzerland's Liberal Green Party has not only seen gains in cantonal parliament elections, it also shows potential on a national level.
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.