Your Guide to Voting from Abroad

As a Swiss citizen living abroad, you have the right to vote. Here’s how to do it:

1. Register to vote
2. Receive your voting material
3. Understand what you’re voting on
4. Vote!

Swiss Abroad!​

Every vote shapes Switzerland. Even yours, from abroad.

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Step 1

Register for the electoral roll

Step 2

Receive your voting materials

Step 3

Understand what you’re voting on

Step 4

Vote!

Step 1: Register for the electoral roll

Before you can vote in anything, you must be registered on the Swiss abroad electoral roll (Stimmregister / registre électoral).

Who can register: Any Swiss citizen aged 18 or older who is registered with a Swiss embassy or consulate (i.e., you’ve announced your residence abroad through the official channels).

How to register:

  1. If you haven’t already, register with your nearest Swiss representation (embassy or consulate) via the EDA’s online platform at www.swissabroad.ch.
  2. Once registered as a Swiss abroad citizen, request to be added to the electoral roll of your commune of origin (Heimatgemeinde / commune d’origine) or your last commune of residence in Switzerland — the rules vary by canton.
  3. Your commune will confirm your registration and begin sending you voting materials before each federal vote.

Important: Registration is not automatic. Many Swiss abroad are registered with their embassy but have never requested to be added to the electoral roll. These are two separate steps.

Timeline: Allow 4–6 weeks for registration to be processed, especially if your commune needs to verify your details. Do this well before the next vote — don’t wait until materials are due.

Step 2: Receive your voting materials

Once registered, your commune will send you the official voting materials (Abstimmungsunterlagen / matériel de vote) by mail before each federal vote. This typically includes:

  • The voting booklet (Bundesbüchlein / brochure explicative) with official explanations.
  • Your ballot paper(s)
  • A return envelope
  • Instructions.

Common problems:

  • Materials arrive late or not at all. International mail is unreliable. If you haven’t received your materials 2–3 weeks before a vote, contact your commune immediately. Many communes can send materials electronically or by express mail if you ask early enough.
  • You’ve moved and didn’t update your address. Your commune sends materials to the address your embassy has on file. If you move, update your address with your Swiss representation — otherwise your materials go to your old address.
  • Your commune doesn’t know you want to vote. Remember: being registered with an embassy ≠ being registered to vote. Check with your commune if you’re unsure.

Step 3: Understand What You’re Voting On

This is where SwissAbroad.vote comes in, and here are some other sources:

Official sources:

  • admin.ch/votes — Federal Chancellery page with official details on every vote
  • ch.ch/en/votes-and-elections — Government portal with plain-language summaries
  • VoteInfo App — Official mobile app with vote information and results (available in DE/FR/IT/RM)
  • EDA / FDFA — Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, responsible for Swiss abroad affairs
  • swissabroad.ch — Online platform for consular registration and services

Independent sources:

  • SWI swissinfo.ch — SBC’s international service, excellent multilingual coverage of Swiss politics
  • Easyvote — Neutral, simplified vote explanations aimed at younger voters (DE/FR/IT)
  • SwissAbroad.vote — that’s us. Opinionated analysis from the perspective of Swiss abroad. Subscribe

The Swiss voting system in brief

If you didn’t grow up in Switzerland or it’s been a while since civics class, here’s a quick refresher:

Federal votes happen 3–4 times per year, usually on a Sunday in February/March, June, September, and November.

There are two types of items you’ll see on a ballot:

  • Popular Initiatives — proposed by citizens (100,000 signatures needed). These aim to change the federal Constitution. You vote Yes or No.
  • Referendums — citizens (50,000 signatures) can challenge a law passed by Parliament. You vote Yes (keep the law) or No (reject it). Some referendums are mandatory (e.g., constitutional amendments passed by Parliament always go to a vote).

Counter-proposals: Sometimes Parliament responds to an initiative with its own alternative. In these cases you vote on both, plus a tie-breaker question (Stichfrage / question subsidiaire): “If both pass, which do you prefer?”

Double majority: Constitutional changes need a majority of voters nationally AND a majority of cantons. Regular referendums need only a popular majority.

Turnout: Typically 40–50% nationally. There’s no minimum turnout requirement — every vote counts regardless of how many people participate.

Step 4: Vote!

You have several options:

By mail (most common): Fill in your ballot, seal it in the provided return envelope, sign the declaration, and mail it to your commune. Your ballot must arrive before vote day — most communes set the deadline at the Thursday or Friday before the Sunday vote.

For international mail, this means posting your ballot at least 7–10 days before the deadline, sometimes more depending on where you live. If you’re cutting it close, use a tracked courier service.

By e-voting (limited availability): A few cantons currently offer e-voting for Swiss abroad citizens: Basel-Stadt, St. Gallen, and Thurgau (as of early 2026). If your commune of origin is in one of these cantons, you can vote online using the credentials included in your voting materials. Check your cantonal chancellery website for details.

More cantons are expected to join in coming years, but expansion has been slow due to security concerns.

In person at your consulate: Some Swiss representations accept ballot drop-off. Contact your consulate to check if this is available and what their deadlines are.