View source for Elections in Switzerland

{{Short description|none}}
{{See also|Voting in Switzerland}}
{{update|date=January 2018}}
{{Politics of Switzerland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2014}}

[[Switzerland]] elects on national level a collective [[head of state]], the [[Federal Council of Switzerland|Federal Council]], and a [[legislature]], the [[Federal Assembly of Switzerland|Federal Assembly]]. 

==Background==

The [[Federal Assembly of Switzerland|Federal Assembly]] (German: ''Bundesversammlung''; French: ''Assemblée fédérale''; Italian: ''Assemblea federale''; Romansh: ''Assamblea federala'') has two [[bicameralism|chambers]]. The [[National Council of Switzerland|National Council]] (German: ''Nationalrat''; French: ''Conseil national''; Italian: ''Consiglio nazionale''; Romansh: ''Cussegl naziunal'') has 200 members, elected for a four-year term by [[proportional representation]]  in multi-seat [[constituency|constituencies]], the cantons. 

The [[Swiss Council of States|Council of States]] (German: ''Ständerat''; French: ''Conseil des Etats''; Italian: ''Consiglio degli Stati''l Romansh: ''Cussegl dals Stadis'') has 46 members, elected for four years in 20 two-seat (for full cantons) and 6 single-seat (for half-cantons) constituencies. 

Under the [[Swiss Federal Constitution]], the mode of election to the Council of States is left to the cantons, the provision being that it must be a democratic method. All cantons now provide for the councilors to be chosen by popular election, although historically it was typically the cantons' legislatures that elected representatives to Bern.

Despite this freedom the Constitution provides the cantons, with the exception of the cantons of {{lang|fr|[[Canton of Neuchâtel|Neuchâtel]]|italic=no}} and {{lang|fr|[[Canton of Jura|Jura]]|italic=no}} (which use [[proportional representation]] to elect their councilors), councilors are elected through an up to [[two-round system]] of voting. In the first round of voting, candidates must obtain an [[Supermajority#Majority of the entire membership|absolute majority of the vote]] in order to be elected. If no candidate receives an absolute majority in the first round of voting then a second round is held in which a [[Plurality (voting)|simple plurality]] is sufficient to be elected. The top two finishing candidates in the second round are elected.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ch.ch/en/elections2015/organisation/council-of-states/ |type=official site |title=Elections 2015:How the elections to the Council of States are organised: process, rules and principal stages |publisher=The Swiss Confederation |work=ch.ch – A service of the Confederation, cantons and communes |location=Berne, Switzerland |access-date=2016-08-09}}</ref>

One of the members of the Federal Council assumes the honorific title of President of the Confederation for a one-year term. 

Elections to the National Council conclude on the penultimate Sunday of October. In most cantons, the first round of the election for the Council of States is held alongside the National Council election, while runoff stages are held 3 to 6 weeks later. The new Federal Assembly takes office at the start of the following year.

Switzerland has a [[multi-party]] system with numerous [[political parties|parties]]. A highly unique characteristic of Switzerland is that all [[Executive (government)|executives]], from the federal level to even the smallest town at the municipal level, are led by a [[Directorial system|collective]] body of individuals (versus a single [[President (government title)|President]] or [[Prime minister|Prime Minister]] as in other countries). These executives often include members from several [[List of political parties in Switzerland|political parties]].

==Federal elections==
===2023 federal election===
{{Main article|2023 Swiss federal election}}Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 22 October 2023 to elect all members of the National Council and Council of States (first round). There was a second round for the Council of States on 12 and 19 November. The elections were followed by [[2023 Swiss Federal Council election|elections to the Federal Council]], Switzerland's government and collegial presidency, on 13 December. 

==== National Council ====
{{Election results|image=[[File:Swiss National Council 2023.svg]]|party1=[[Swiss People's Party]]|votes1=713471|seats1=62|sc1=+9|party2=[[Social Democratic Party of Switzerland|Social Democratic Party]]|votes2=466714|seats2=41|sc2=+2|party3=[[The Liberals (Switzerland)|The Liberals]]|votes3=364053|seats3=28|sc3=−1|party4=[[The Centre (political party)|The Centre]]|votes4=359075|seats4=29|sc4=+1|party5=[[Green Party of Switzerland|Green Party]]|votes5=249891|seats5=23|sc5=−5|party6=[[Green Liberal Party of Switzerland|Green Liberal Party]]|votes6=192944|seats6=10|sc6=−6|party7=[[Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland|Evangelical People's Party]]|votes7=49828|seats7=2|sc7=−1|party8=[[Federal Democratic Union of Switzerland|Federal Democratic Union]]|votes8=31513|seats8=2|sc8=+1|party9=[[Swiss Party of Labour]]|votes9=18435|seats9=0|sc9=−1|party10=[[Ticino League]]|votes10=14160|seats10=1|sc10=0|party11=[[Geneva Citizens' Movement]]|votes11=13019|seats11=2|sc11=+2|party12=[[Alternative List|Left-Alternative Greens]]|votes12=4343|seats12=0|sc12=0|party13=[[Christian Social Party (Switzerland)|Christian Social Party]]|votes13=2397|seats13=0|sc13=0|party14=[[Swiss Democrats]]|votes14=2030|seats14=0|sc14=0|party15=Other parties|votes15=72609|seats15=0|sc15=0|turnout=46.6|turnoutsw=+1.5|source=[https://www.elections.admin.ch/en/ch/ FSO]}}

==== Council of States ====
31 of the 46 seats of the Council of States were filled in the first round, on 22 October 2023, with the remaining 15 seats filled in the second round, on 12 and 19 November.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
| colspan="5" |[[File:Swiss_Council_of_State_2023.svg|center|300x300px]]
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Party
! colspan="3" |Seats
|-
!1st
round
!2nd
round
!Total
|-
|
|[[The Centre (political party)|The Centre]]
| align="right" |10
| align="right" |5
| align="right" |15
|-
|
|[[The Liberals (Switzerland)|The Liberals]]
| align="right" |9
| align="right" |2
| align="right" |11
|-
|
|[[Social Democratic Party of Switzerland|Social Democratic Party]]
| align="right" |5
| align="right" |4
| align="right" |9
|-
|
|[[Swiss People's Party]]
| align="right" |4
| align="right" |2
| align="right" |6
|-
|
|[[Green Party of Switzerland|Green Party]]
| align="right" |3
| align="right" |
| align="right" |3
|-
|
|[[Geneva Citizens' Movement]]
| align="right" |
| align="right" |1
| align="right" |1
|-
|
|[[Green Liberal Party of Switzerland|Green Liberal Party]]
| align="right" |
| align="right" |1
| align="right" |1
|-
| colspan="2" |'''Total'''
| align="right" |'''31'''
| align="right" |'''15'''
| align="right" |'''46'''
|-
! colspan="5" |
|-
| colspan="5" |Source: [https://www.elections.admin.ch/en/ch/standerat/ FSO]
|}

==See also==
* [[Swiss Federal Council election]]
* [[Zauberformel]]

== Notes and references ==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*{{cite web | title=Eidgenössische Wahlen | website=[[Federal Statistical Office (Switzerland)|Federal Statistical Office]] | url=https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/politik/wahlen/eidgenoessische-wahlen.html | language=de | access-date=3 November 2024}}
*{{cite web | title=Abstimmungen | website=[[Federal Statistical Office (Switzerland)|Federal Statistical Office]] | url=https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/politik/abstimmungen.html | language=de | access-date=3 November 2024}}
*[http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/s/switzerland/ Adam Carr's Election Archive]
*[http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/switzerland.html Parties and elections]
* [http://www.nsd.uib.no/european_election_database/country/switzerland/ NSD: European Election Database - Switzerland] publishes regional level election data; allows for comparisons of election results, 1991-2007


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[[Category:Elections in Switzerland| ]]

[[it:Politica della Svizzera]]