Supporters of foreigner voting rights suffer setback
As of now, foreigners can vote in eight of the country's 26 cantons.
Keystone/Gian Ehrenzeller
Voters in canton Solothurn have thrown out a proposal to give its more than 100 municipalities the right to grant non-Swiss residents a say in local matters.
Official results from Sunday’s ballot show 73.2% of voters rejecting the left-wing initiative, according to the Solothurn cantonal authoritiesExternal link.
The proposal by the Young Socialist group was defeated despite backing from the cantonal government.
Centrist and right-wing parties opposed the plans, saying foreigners should first seek a Swiss passport before getting a say in local politics.
So far, eight of the country’s 26 cantons have granted rights to foreigners with a permanent residence permit. In French-speaking Switzerland, foreigners also have the right to take part in cantonal votes.
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Who can vote in Switzerland? Who can’t?
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Ahead of parliamentary elections on October 20, swissinfo.ch looks at the third of the Swiss resident population that is disenfranchised.
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