-
- Art. 5a FC
- Art. 6 FC
- Art. 10 FC
- Art. 16 FC
- Art. 17 FC
- Art. 20 FC
- Art. 22 FC
- Art. 29a FC
- Art. 30 FC
- Art. 32 FC
- Art. 42 FC
- Art. 43 FC
- Art. 43a FC
- Art. 55 FC
- Art. 56 FC
- Art. 60 FC
- Art. 68 FC
- Art. 75b FC
- Art. 77 FC
- Art. 96 para. 2 lit. a FC
- Art. 110 FC
- Art. 117a FC
- Art. 118 FC
- Art. 123b FC
- Art. 136 FC
- Art. 166 FC
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- Art. 11 CO
- Art. 12 CO
- Art. 50 CO
- Art. 51 CO
- Art. 84 CO
- Art. 143 CO
- Art. 144 CO
- Art. 145 CO
- Art. 146 CO
- Art. 147 CO
- Art. 148 CO
- Art. 149 CO
- Art. 150 CO
- Art. 701 CO
- Art. 715 CO
- Art. 715a CO
- Art. 734f CO
- Art. 785 CO
- Art. 786 CO
- Art. 787 CO
- Art. 788 CO
- Transitional provisions to the revision of the Stock Corporation Act of June 19, 2020
- Art. 808c CO
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- Art. 2 PRA
- Art. 3 PRA
- Art. 4 PRA
- Art. 6 PRA
- Art. 10 PRA
- Art. 10a PRA
- Art. 11 PRA
- Art. 12 PRA
- Art. 13 PRA
- Art. 14 PRA
- Art. 15 PRA
- Art. 16 PRA
- Art. 17 PRA
- Art. 19 PRA
- Art. 20 PRA
- Art. 21 PRA
- Art. 22 PRA
- Art. 23 PRA
- Art. 24 PRA
- Art. 25 PRA
- Art. 26 PRA
- Art. 27 PRA
- Art. 29 PRA
- Art. 30 PRA
- Art. 31 PRA
- Art. 32 PRA
- Art. 32a PRA
- Art. 33 PRA
- Art. 34 PRA
- Art. 35 PRA
- Art. 36 PRA
- Art. 37 PRA
- Art. 38 PRA
- Art. 39 PRA
- Art. 40 PRA
- Art. 41 PRA
- Art. 42 PRA
- Art. 43 PRA
- Art. 44 PRA
- Art. 45 PRA
- Art. 46 PRA
- Art. 47 PRA
- Art. 48 PRA
- Art. 49 PRA
- Art. 50 PRA
- Art. 51 PRA
- Art. 52 PRA
- Art. 53 PRA
- Art. 54 PRA
- Art. 55 PRA
- Art. 56 PRA
- Art. 57 PRA
- Art. 58 PRA
- Art. 59a PRA
- Art. 59b PRA
- Art. 59c PRA
- Art. 62 PRA
- Art. 63 PRA
- Art. 67 PRA
- Art. 67a PRA
- Art. 67b PRA
- Art. 75 PRA
- Art. 75a PRA
- Art. 76 PRA
- Art. 76a PRA
- Art. 90 PRA
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- Vorb. zu Art. 1 FADP
- Art. 1 FADP
- Art. 2 FADP
- Art. 3 FADP
- Art. 5 lit. f und g FADP
- Art. 6 Abs. 6 and 7 FADP
- Art. 7 FADP
- Art. 10 FADP
- Art. 11 FADP
- Art. 12 FADP
- Art. 14 FADP
- Art. 15 FADP
- Art. 19 FADP
- Art. 20 FADP
- Art. 22 FADP
- Art. 23 FADP
- Art. 25 FADP
- Art. 26 FADP
- Art. 27 FADP
- Art. 31 para. 2 lit. e FADP
- Art. 33 FADP
- Art. 34 FADP
- Art. 35 FADP
- Art. 38 FADP
- Art. 39 FADP
- Art. 40 FADP
- Art. 41 FADP
- Art. 42 FADP
- Art. 43 FADP
- Art. 44 FADP
- Art. 44a FADP
- Art. 45 FADP
- Art. 46 FADP
- Art. 47 FADP
- Art. 47a FADP
- Art. 48 FADP
- Art. 49 FADP
- Art. 50 FADP
- Art. 51 FADP
- Art. 54 FADP
- Art. 57 FADP
- Art. 58 FADP
- Art. 60 FADP
- Art. 61 FADP
- Art. 62 FADP
- Art. 63 FADP
- Art. 64 FADP
- Art. 65 FADP
- Art. 66 FADP
- Art. 67 FADP
- Art. 69 FADP
- Art. 72 FADP
- Art. 72a FADP
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- Art. 2 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 3 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 4 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 5 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 6 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 7 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 8 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 9 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 11 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 12 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 25 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 29 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 32 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 33 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 34 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
FEDERAL CONSTITUTION
CODE OF OBLIGATIONS
FEDERAL LAW ON PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL LAW
LUGANO CONVENTION
CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
CIVIL PROCEDURE CODE
FEDERAL ACT ON POLITICAL RIGHTS
CIVIL CODE
FEDERAL ACT ON CARTELS AND OTHER RESTRAINTS OF COMPETITION
FEDERAL ACT ON INTERNATIONAL MUTUAL ASSISTANCE IN CRIMINAL MATTERS
DEBT ENFORCEMENT AND BANKRUPTCY ACT
FEDERAL ACT ON DATA PROTECTION
SWISS CRIMINAL CODE
CYBERCRIME CONVENTION
- I. History of origins
- II. Significance of the provision
- III. Commentary on the text of the norm
- Materials
- Bibliography
I. History of origins
1 With the 1976 PRA, the federal legislature created a legal basis for election guidance. The provision was not included in the Federal Council's draft of the new law. It found its way into the law through the National Council's preliminary advisory committee.
2 The Federal Chancellery produced election instructions for the first time in the National Council elections of 1971 and 1975. In 1971, 3.6 million copies were printed and distributed together with the election material. The measure was connected with the introduction of women's suffrage at federal level, which enabled Swiss women to vote and be elected for the first time in the National Council elections of 1971. However, the voting instructions were not only addressed to women, but to all eligible voters, as many - especially younger - men were also assumed to need a certain amount of explanation. For financial reasons, the electoral instructions appeared in a reduced edition for the 1975 National Council elections, and were only made available to the parties and interested circles. Anchoring it in the PRA was intended to ensure that it would be available for future National Council elections and to make it independent of the Federal Chancellery's financial leeway at the time.
3 Since 1994, Art. 34 has expressly required election instructions only for general renewal elections, i.e. not also for by-elections or supplementary elections in individual cantons. The practice followed up to that time was thus codified. Furthermore, since 2007 the Federal Chancellery's duty has been limited to providing election instructions to cantons with proportional representation. However, cantons with the right to vote by majority may draw up their own election instructions and hand them out to voters.
II. Significance of the provision
A. General
4 State authorities do not have an advisory function in elections, unlike in substantive votes. They may not directly or indirectly place themselves at the service of partisan interests in the election campaign. However, case law considers support and assistance by the authorities to be permissible, provided that they are neutral with regard to the formation and expression of the voters' will and, in principle, neither favour nor disadvantage candidates, parties or groups. For example, voting should be illustrated without using names of persons and groups who are actually standing for election.
5 According to the case law of the Federal Supreme Court, no constitutional right to receive voting instructions from the authorities is derived from the guarantee of the freedom to vote and to be elected under Art. 34 para. 2 FC. According to the Federal Supreme Court, there is a fundamental expectation that those entitled to vote familiarise themselves with the conditions for exercising the right to vote and to be elected; according to the Federal Supreme Court, the provision of voting instructions is not a constitutional obligation, although it is "useful" and "desirable". However, in view of the now widespread information activity of the authorities, electoral explanations are hardly imaginable without them.
B. Comparison of laws
6 Cantonal laws often oblige the cantonal authorities to provide voters with electoral instructions, at least for the general renewal elections of the cantonal parliaments. However, not all cantons have an explicit legal obligation to do so, even though - as far as can be seen - they also produce and distribute election instructions.
III. Commentary on the text of the norm
A. Content of the electoral instructions
7 Art. 34 obliges the Federal Chancellery to prepare election instructions for the general renewal elections of the National Council and to distribute them to voters in cantons with proportional representation. The content of the election instructions is not expressly specified in the law. According to practice, the voting instructions should at least explain the effects of a list designation, of additional votes, of deleting, of panashing and of cumulating. The voting instructions may contain further elements, namely if these serve the free formation and expression of the will and observe the constitutional limits (cf. n. 4). Accordingly, the voting instructions also contain information on the validity requirements for completed ballot papers and on the general principles of voting. This information must be valid for all cantons with proportional representation, which is why the election instructions only explain the basic principles of voting.
8 In addition to federal law, cantonal regulations are also authoritative for the election procedure (Art. 83 PRA). The cantons may therefore provide those entitled to vote with further instructions on voting and the grounds for invalidity and nullity associated with the cantonal procedure (Art. 38 para. 4 PRA).
9 Some information elements in the electoral instructions go back to impulses from the Federal Assembly. In the course of the discussion on electoral law reforms, for example, the Federal Chancellery held out the prospect to the Federal Assembly of improving the information on list connections. Accordingly, it adapted the election instructions for the 2015 National Council elections. The situation was similar with the portraits of the parties represented in the National Council.
10 Art. 34 PRA allows voters to be provided with a brief portrait of the parties represented in the National Council in addition to technical instructions. The Federal Chancellery was therefore able to introduce the party portraits in the 2007 National Council elections without amending the law. The parties represented in the National Council write the portraits themselves and submit them to the Federal Chancellery. The Federal Chancellery ensures that the texts are not too long and that all parties have equal space. A party represented in the National Council is not obliged to submit a party portrait. The Christian Social Party (CSP) Obwalden, for example, waived this option in the 2019 National Council elections because it did not put forward a candidate.
11 The purpose of the party portraits is to strengthen the position of the parties in the election campaign and to serve as an orientation for voters. The limitation to parties that are represented in the National Council in the current legislative period does not constitute a violation of equal opportunities for the groups and parties running for election. According to case law, there is a public interest in supporting parties and groupings with a solid base and a broad political spectrum of issues that offer a minimum guarantee of continuity in political activity in parliament due to mandates already won. However, state support and assistance must be based on objective criteria and access to the ballot must not be unduly restricted.
12 Other information elements in the election instructions are permissible. In previous election instructions, for example, there was a chapter on women's representation in the National Council. A few years ago, with regard to possible disinformation campaigns, it was also suggested that voters be made aware of threats to opinion-forming through social bots. The inclusion of further elements must be carefully weighed up in each case. Art. 34 PRA expressly requires brief voting instructions so that important information can be easily perceived.
B. Form of the voting instructions
13 Art. 34 does not explicitly specify the form in which the voting instructions are to be drawn up, but it does require that they be sent individually to voters: voters are entitled to receive the voting instructions together with the ballot papers. In practice, voters receive the voting instructions in the form of a printed brochure. General electronic publication without personal addressing would not suffice under current law. In contrast to the voting instructions, the law does not stipulate that the voting instructions can only be sent once per household (cf. Art. 11 para. 4 PRA). Pursuant to Art. 33 para. 2 PRA, the voting instructions and the other election documents must be sent to voters - as in the case of federal referendums - in such a way that they reach the recipients no later than three and no earlier than four weeks before the election day.
14 The voting instructions shall be issued in German, French and Italian and, based on Art. 11 SpG, also in Romansh. Regardless of their political domicile, voters are entitled to receive the voting instructions in the language of their choice.
15 The Federal Chancellery provides the voting instructions not only in paper form, but also on an election platform which it offers on the Internet - as a rule in cooperation with the Parliamentary Services, the Federal Statistical Office and the cantons. The election platform contains additional information on the National Council elections, including videos explaining the electoral process. In future, information on voting and the election results will also be available on the "VoteInfo" app, which is now established for referendums.
16 The official information on elections takes into account the needs of voters with a disability. For example, the explanatory videos will be made available in sign language. In addition, for the 2019 National Council elections, the Federal Chancellery published voting instructions in plain language on the election platform as a pilot test. For the 2023 National Council elections, there will probably be no such provision in electronic form. However, the voting instructions in plain language will be printed in a small number of copies and distributed via the specialist organisations for people with a disability.
C. Legal protection
17 The electoral instructions are a real act of the Federal Chancellery. In contrast to the explanations of the Federal Council in the case of federal referendums, which cannot be challenged on the basis of Art. 189 para. 4 FC, the election instructions constitute a suitable object of challenge for election complaints under Art. 77 para. 1 lit. c PRA. The election complaint must be addressed to the competent cantonal government, even if it cannot deal with the complaint on the merits. A direct appeal to the Federal Supreme Court is not possible, as the dispute concerns the preparation and conduct of the National Council elections; the election complaint under Art. 77 para. 1 lit. c PRA is available for this purpose.
Materials
Botschaft über eine Teiländerung der Bundesgesetzgebung über die politischen Rechte vom 1.9.1993, BBl 1993 III S. 445 ff., abrufbar unter https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/fga/1993/3_445_405_309/de, besucht am 1.5.2023 (zit. Botschaft 1993).
Botschaft über eine Änderung des Bundesgesetzes über die politischen Rechte vom 30.11.2001, BBl 2001 S. 6401 ff., abrufbar unter https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/fga/2001/1111/de, besucht am 1.5.2023 (zit. Botschaft 2001).
Botschaft über die Einführung der allgemeinen Volksinitiative und über weitere Änderungen der Bundesgesetzgebung über die politischen Rechte vom 31.5.2006, BBl 2006 S. 5261 ff., abrufbar unter https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/fga/2006/639/de, besucht am 1.5.2023 (zit. Botschaft 2006).
OSCE/ODHIR, Final Report on the 21.10.2007 Federal Elections in Switzerland, verfügbar unter www.osce.org > Institutions and structures > OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights > Elections > Switzerland Federal Elections, 21.10.2007.
Parlamentarische Initiative 03.436 Faire Abstimmungskampagnen, Bericht der Staatspolitischen Kommission des Nationalrates vom 7.5.2009, BBl 2009 S. 5833 ff., verfügbar unter https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/fga/2009/1035/de, besucht am 1.5.2023 (zit. Bericht SPK-NR 2009).
Parlamentarische Initiative 03.436 Faire Abstimmungskampagnen, Stellungnahme des Bundesrates vom 19.8.2009 zum Bericht der Staatspolitischen Kommission des Nationalrates vom 7.5.2009, BBl 2009 S. 5885, verfügbar unter https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/fga/2009/1038/de, besucht am 1.5.2023 (zit. STN BR zum Bericht SPK-NR 2009).
Bibliography
Auer Christoph, Besprechung des Urteils 1C_522/2015 et al. vom 29.10.2015, ZBl 117 (2016), S. 43–51.
Egli Patricia/Rechsteiner David, Social Bots und Meinungsbildung in der Demokratie, AJP 2017, S. 249–258.
Glaser Andreas, Die Rechtsprechung des Bundesgerichts zu den politischen Rechten auf Bundesebene, ZBl 118 (2017), S. 415–436.
Häfelin Ulrich/Haller Walter/Keller Helen/Thurnherr Daniela, Schweizerisches Bundesstaatsrecht, 10. Aufl., Zürich 2020.
Hangartner Yvo/Kley Andreas/Braun Binder Nadja/Glaser Andreas, Die demokratischen Rechte in Bund und Kantonen der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft, 2. Aufl., Zürich 2023.
Kergomard Zoé, An die Urnen, Schweizerinnen! Die Erfindung der Wählerin im eidgenössischen Wahlkampf von 1971, in: Hedwig Richter/Hubertus Buchstein (Hrsg.), Kultur und Praxis der Wahlen. Eine Geschichte der modernen Demokratie, Springer VS, 2017, S. 237–265; zitiert nach dem PrePrint unter https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-02526382.
Steinmann Gerold, Die Gewährleistung der politischen Rechte durch die Bundesverfassung (Artikel 34 BV), ZBJV 139 (2003), S. 481–507.
Tschannen Pierre, Die staatsrechtliche Rechtsprechung des Bundesgerichts in den Jahren 2000 und 2001, ZBJV 138 (2002), S. 605–704.