Canton of Vaud takes key step to boost voting rights for foreign residents

Foreigners in Vaud are entitled to vote and stand for election in their municipalities. This provision has been in effect since 2003.

To be eligible for these political rights, they must meet the following conditions: be 18 years of age or older, live in a Vaud community with a B or C permit continuously for three years, and in Switzerland for 10 years.

On June 10th, the cantonal parliament narrowly agreed, by 70 votes against 67, to cut the waiting period for foreigners to obtain the right to vote in their municipality in half: five years of residence in Switzerland instead of 10.

Though some MPs also tried to reduce the residence time in the canton to one year, the majority of deputies preferred to maintain the current three-year period.

But before this change can be implemented, it will need to be put to a referendum, so that Vaud voters can have the final say in this matter.

At the same time, deputies spoke against granting foreigners voting rights at the cantonal level.

What is the situation elsewhere in Switzerland?

Only two French-speaking cantons allow foreigners to vote in cantonal elections and referendums: Neuchâtel and Jura — but only under certain conditions.

In Neuchâtel, they must have a residence permit and have lived in the canton for at least five years, while in Jura, the rule is at least 10 years in Switzerland at at least one year in the canton.

The right to vote and stand for election on a municipal level is more widespread.

Aside from Neuchâtel, Jura and Vaud, Fribourg, Geneva, Basel-City, Graubünden, and Appenzell Ausserrhoden also allow their municipalities to include long-standing foreign residents in the local referendums.

This doesn’t mean, however, that foreign nationals living in each and every municipality in those cantons can participate in the political process.

In fact, only some communities in Graubünden and Appenzell Ausserrhoden give foreigners the right to vote, and none of the three municipalities in the canton of Basel-City do.

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