Having a say: rights and obligations · Elections and popular votes
Swiss citizens abroad
Topic
More than 800'000 Swiss citizens live abroad. They are called Swiss abroad or the «Fifth Switzerland». They keep their citizenship and their political rights. They may take part in national popular votes and elections, even if they have not lived in Switzerland for many years.
To do this, they register with the Swiss representation in their country of residence, that is the embassy or the consulate. They are then entered in the electoral register of a Swiss municipality. The voting documents are sent abroad by post. You fill them in and send them back to the municipality. In some cantons e-voting, that is electronic voting, is also possible.
Nobody has to travel to Switzerland to do this. Swiss abroad may also be politically active in their country of residence, as far as the law there allows. Each canton decides for itself whether they may also take part in cantonal votes. Swiss abroad may also sign popular initiatives and referendums.
Key terms
- Auslandschweizer
- Swiss abroad: Swiss citizens who live abroad.
- Fünfte Schweiz
- Fifth Switzerland: another name for all Swiss citizens living abroad.
- Stimmregister
- Electoral register: a municipality's list of all the people who may vote there.
Exam questions on this topic
- What political rights do Swiss citizens living abroad have?Correct answer: C, They can take part in national votes and elections without having to travel to Switzerland to do so.