Canton of Vaud advances measures to amplify voting privileges for non-native residents
Loosening the Ropes: Foreigners in Vaud, Switzerland given the right to vote and run for office in their municipalities, a privilege that's been in place since 2003.
To qualify, they've got to: Be above 18, have a B or C permit for at least three years in the Vaud community, and lived in Switzerland for a decade. On June 10th, the cantonal parliament made a move to cut that 10-year residency requirement by half, requiring a mere five years in Switzerland—though the proposal still needs a referendum for approval.
Narrow Win: While some MPs wanted to reduce the residence time even further, to just a year, the majority preferred to stick with the three-year requirement at the canton level.
Referendum Time: Before this change can be implemented, it's off to the voters for the ultimate say. At the same time, deputies argued against extending voting rights to foreigners at the cantonal level.
The Situation Elsewhere: Only Neuchâtel and Jura, like Vaud, allow foreigners to vote in cantonal elections and referendums, but under stricter conditions - five years in Neuchâtel and ten years in Jura.
A Mixed Bag: When it comes to municipal-level voting rights, things are more widespread. Fribourg, Geneva, Basel-City, Graubünden, and Appenzell Ausserrhoden also have municipalities that allow long-term foreign residents to vote in their website referendums.
Not So Fast: However, a quick glance at the finer details reveals that not all communities in these cantons allow foreigners to participate in politics. Graubünden and Appenzell Ausserrhoden have select municipalities where foreigners vote, but none in Basel-City do.
Exceptions Exist: Neuchâtel, Jura, and Vaud aren't the only cantons breaking the mold. The city of Basel has pondered over such measures but doesn't yet allow universal foreigner voting rights.
The Big Picture: Across Switzerland, voting rights for foreigners aren't evenly distributed. While Vaud, Neuchâtel, and Jura have relatively more progressive policies, most cantons and municipalities keep voting rights exclusive to Swiss citizens.
Policy-and-legislation surrounding foreign voting rights in Switzerland is undergoing changes, as the cantonal parliament proposed reducing the residency requirement for foreigners to vote and run for office in their municipalities from ten years to just five. Despite some pushback to further reduce the residence time to a single year, the majority preferred to keep the three-year requirement at the canton level. However, the proposed change still needs a referendum for approval, indicating that politics plays a significant role in shaping general-news like this.
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