Swiss canton rejects accelerating foreigner voting rights

VD: rejected facilitated voting for foreigners in municipalities Keystone-SDA

The Swiss canton of Vaud has decided against halving the residential qualification period that foreigners must serve before being able to vote at communal level.

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A constitutional amendment to this effect was rejected at the polls by 56% of voters. The turnout was 43.92%.

+ Why some foreigners choose not to vote in Switzerland

The parliamentary initiative called for the minimum period of residence in Switzerland required for foreigners to be able to vote and be elected in municipalities to be reduced from ten to five years. The three-year period of residence in the canton would have remained unchanged.

The left and the liberal Greens supported the compromise that was narrowly approved by the Grand Council in February, while right-leaning parties opposed the move.

Facilitation for small parties

Vaud voters approved a separate proposal to allow small political parties easier access to the cantonal parliament. The 5% threshold required to obtain a seat can now be reached through alliances of lists, and no longer with a single list.

For the left-wing parties and the liberal Greens this better reflects the will of the voters, while the right fears a fragmentation of majorities and less clarity for voters.

Adapted from Italian with DeepL/mga

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