Switzerland to test electronic collection of signatures for referendums
The current system for collecting signatures, based on paper, has potential for modernisation, according to a report commissioned by parliament.
Keystone / Jean-Christophe Bott
Select your language
Generated with artificial intelligence.
Listening: Switzerland to test electronic collection of signatures for referendums
The Swiss government is preparing the ground to authorise limited electronic signature collection trials for initiatives and referendums. The Federal Council (executive body) has adopted a report that envisages progressing in stages.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA
The analysis, requested by parliament, outlines the opportunities and risks of electronic signature collection in terms of organisational, technical, legal and institutional plans. The government has instructed the Federal Chancellery to conduct a preliminary project with a view to carrying out limited practical tests of electronic signature collection, according to a press release.
The current system for collecting signatures, based on paper, has potential for modernisation, says the report, which takes into account the recent cases of falsified signatures for initiatives at the federal level. In the context of the scandal, the Chancellery recently held a round table to ensure greater transparency in the collection of signatures.
More
More
‘Signatures scam’ reveals cracks in Swiss system
This content was published on
Paper was regarded as a guarantee of security in the Swiss voting system. Those days are over. An analysis of a far-reaching paradigm shift.
However, “the digital model presents new risks and its reliability and the trust that the public is willing to place in it depend to a very large extent on its design,” the Federal Council noted. A special focus should be placed on the control mechanisms that could be put in place without compromising the secrecy of the vote, the report continues.
Electronic voting also implies a partial transfer of competences compared to the current system. Responsibility would pass from the initiative committee to the operator of the collection platform, which would have to be entrusted to a public organisation. The municipalities will continue to keep voter registries and the collection of signatures on paper and in digital form will have to coexist.
The report concludes that it is impossible to determine the effects of the electronic collection of signatures on the use of civil rights without carrying out a practical experiment. The Federal Chancellery’s preliminary project will be done with the support of the cantons, municipalities, stakeholders from the political and civil society sectors and specialist groups.
Translated from French with DeepL/gw
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, if you want to learn more about how we use technology, click here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
Pope was a person full of respect: Swiss president
This content was published on
Swiss president Karin Keller-Sutter, who is attending the funeral of Pope Francis, says the pontiff was always full of respect.
Ex-sect member sentenced in Zurich for sexual abuse
This content was published on
Zurich District Court has sentenced a former member of the globally active sect "Children of God" to a partial prison sentence.
SNB chairman does not rule out slowdown in Swiss growth
This content was published on
Martin Schlegel, chairman of the Swiss National Bank (SNB), does not rule out a weakening of the Swiss economy in light of the tariff dispute.
Swiss NGOs abroad to receive 10% less federal funding
This content was published on
In 2025 and 2026, Swiss NGOs will have 10% less federal funding available for international cooperation than in the previous two-year period.
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.