Daniel Kübler, a political scientist at the Aarau Centre for Democracy Studies. Low turnout can become a problem if the results are not respected, according to Kübler. “But people in Switzerland are good at accepting voting results, regardless of how close the outcome is or how low the turnout was.” The way that the Swiss political system is structured means that election results, in particular, affect the composition of government less than they would in other countries. This also explains our relatively low election turnouts, says Kübler. If you don’t vote in the election, you can still participate in direct democracy several times a year. And when a popular vote is regarded as important, participation can easily skyrocket. The highest turnout in recent decades was when 79 per cent voted in 1992 on whether Switzerland should join the European Economic Area. Essentially, it is desirable in any democracy for voter turnout to be as high as possible. Mandatory voting has had an impact in Schaffhausen, but it only goes so far, says Kübler. The level of interest in the issues at hand is, in his view, the main factor shown to affect turnout. Political education at school is, therefore, all the more important. “Switzerland does way too little in this regard compared to neighbouring democracies.” We gaze again at the foaming Rhine Falls as our train leaves Schaffhausen – a mass of water as refreshing as the canton’s approach to voting. Voter participation among the Swiss Abroad is quite a bit lower than in the canton of Schaffhausen. Visit page 22 for an analysis of voting behaviour in the “Fifth Switzerland”. “Voting is deeply ingrained in Schaffhausen,” says Christian Ritzmann, who is one of the people responsible for coordinating elections and popular votes in the canton. Photo: SWE SVP member of the Council of States, Hannes Germann, attributes Schaffhausen’s political culture to the canton’s location on the border with Germany – a source of tension during the Second World War. Photo: parlament.ch For SP politician Simon Stocker, mandatory voting is a privilege. “It is unique and belongs to Schaffhausen.” Photo provided The picturesque old quarter of Schaffhausen epitomises the diminutive canton, where policymakers and the public enjoy greater proximity. Politicians are often seen around the town. Photo: Keystone Voting has been mandatory in Schaffhausen for almost 150 years. It was also mandatory in other cantons after the creation of the modern federal Swiss state, but only in Schaffhausen does the obligation still apply. Swiss Review / October 2023 / No.5 16 Report
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