Human-rights declarations and various legal instruments state that elections must be conducted by secret ballot, but silent about precisely what that means.
Switzerland articles on Democracy Chronicles
News about the struggle for democracy in Switzerland. Surrounded on all sides by the European Union, the federal Swiss model of democracy is highly regarded as one of the best models of democracy in the world. Officially known as the Swiss Confederation, the government is a representative democracy with strong tools of direct democracy built in. A pure form of direct democracy exists in two Swiss cantons, the equivalent of American states. Also check out our section on World Democracy.
No E-Vote Option Available For The Swiss Parliamentary Election
Swiss Post has suspended e-voting system effectively spelling the end of online trials with the current technology for the October parliamentary elections.
Swiss E-Voting Suffers Another Setback Amid Expat Concerns
The government has decided to suspend efforts to enshrine electronic voting in Swiss law, but it plans to continue trials using improved systems.
Should We Draw Lots For Fairer Elections?
To what extent are elections truly democratic? At the dawn of democracy in Athens, elected representatives used to be picked by lot.
Research Examines New Technology For Informing Voters
Voter-advice applications give voters opportunity to get unbiased advice about which candidates or parties to support, usually in complex contexts.
Switzerland’s Open-Air Voting Is Now Streamed Online
Switzerland’s open air voting is one of the oldest and simplest forms of direct democracy and it’s called “Landsgemeinde” is now streamed online.
Teaching Swiss Students How To Live Democratically
A new curriculum introduced at Swiss schools could better equip students to play a more active role in democracy, argues political scientist Monika Waldis.
Swiss Post’s E-Voting System Pulled For May Votes
E-voting system operated by Swiss Post will not be available for nationwide votes on May 19 due to a “critical errors” found during a public intrusion test .
Additional Flaw Found In Swiss Post E-Voting System
Additional flaw found in the Swiss Post planned e-voting system has been discovered as the public intrusion test phase comes to an end.
Date Set For Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy
Swiss capital of Bern’s authorities have given the go-ahead for the city to host the ninth Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy next year.