ity. The incident in Basel caused considerable damage, political scientist Michael Herrmann told SRF. “It has broken public confidence and sets the whole process back years.” There was anger from Swiss who live abroad. One woman in France said she had been deprived of casting her vote. “We have fought long and hard for this right.” And now this. Supporters of online voting also agree that the right to participate must be safeguarded, but argue that the trials, which began in 2023, have gone well over the course of 300 different votes. The right lessons now need to be learned, so that the glitch ultimately helps to improve the system. The canton of Lucerne also wants to pilot e-voting, starting in September this year. Thanks to e-ID, which the electorate narrowly endorsed in September 2025, e-voting could one day go completely digital. E-ID should be available from 1 December 2026. The federal government originally wanted to roll it out this summer but is now introducing further data privacy and security measures after the Swiss Federal Audit Office expressed misgivings. More efficient, more secure, more reliable Using the government’s e-ID system to collect signatures digitally – a process referred to as e-collecting – is another objective. The validity of signatures could then be checked in the space of a few clicks. This would save committees, municipalities and the Federal Chancellery a lot of work. Administrators would be able to do away with things like sending signature sheets back and forth by post. They would be informed of the number of authenticated signatures in real time and could plan their work accordingly. Voters would also benefit, because their data would have better protection and be transmitted reliably. This is why e-collecting has been back on the political agenda since 2024. Recent cases of signature fraud involving professional firms (see “Swiss Review” 1/2025) mean there is increased pressure to improve the existing paper-based system. The goal is not to move the entire process online. Signature collections will still take place in the public domain, but digital technology would make them more efficient, more transparent and more secure. Input and consultation Five out of the six largest parliamentary parties – with the exception of the SVP – are committed to introducing a digital system, which they would like to begin trialling sooner rather than later. The Federal Chancellery is preparing a pilot and has brought together a broad range of stakeholders in order to reach a solution that can command a majority. It launched a collaborative process in August 2025, drawing on an approach that has already proved effective with regard to e-ID. Not only does it regularly host online sessions to share insights, expertise, experience, opinions and ideas, but it has also created an online platform for written communication. Federal Chancellor Viktor Rossi will rely on this dialogue to define the system’s parameters, starting with technical implementation. There are also regulatory, political and organisational challenges surrounding the project. One is making sure that the collection platform is neutral, i.e. that it provides information on referendums and popular initiatives without disseminating any political message. The platform should be designed to ensure that no proposal is given more prominence than others. Experts anticipate an increase in the number of petitions. Civil society groups may be able to shape political debate more than they do at the moment. Initial findings are expected at cantonal level. St Gallen has developed its own system, which is set to go online soon. Geneva’s solution is still in the conceptual phase. The technical implementation of e-collecting is easier than e-voting, says Rahel Estermann, adding that a secure and data-efficient open-source approach is key. A digital solution would make political participation easier, with Swiss Abroad and people with impairments standing to benefit in particular. “E-collecting would strengthen democracy.” Swiss Abroad are eligible to sign petitions for popular initiatives and referendums, provided they are entered in the electoral register. This currently applies to 246,624 people. There are no figures available on the number of Swiss Abroad who sign petitions. As it currently stands, signatures collected for referendums and popular initiatives are still submitted to the Federal Chancellery in boxes. E-collecting would make political participation easier for Swiss Abroad. Photo: Keystone After polls closed on 8 March 2026, the canton of Basel-Stadt was unable to count 2,048 votes from Swiss Abroad and people with physical and/or mental impairments. Swiss Review / July 2026 / No. 3 11
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