2018 Swiss referendums

Ten national referendums were held in Switzerland in 2018. Polling took place on 4 March, 10 June, 23 September and 25 November.

March referendums

Two referendums were held on 4 March. One was on a Federal Decree on the new Financial Regulation 2021, which would extend the right of the federal government to levy VAT and direct federal tax until 2035;[1] this was approved by 84% of voters. The other was the "Yes to the abolition of radio and television fees" popular initiative, which proposed abolishing the licence fee that provides the majority of funding for the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation.[1] The proposal was rejected by the Federal Assembly in 2017,[2] and by 72% of voters in the referendum.

Results

Question	For		Against		Invalid/ blank	Total votes	Registered voters	Turnout	Cantons for		Cantons against		Result
	Votes	%	Votes	%					Full	Half	Full	Half
Financial Regulation 2021	2,358,086	84.1	445,464	15.9	100,497	2,904,047	5,391,090	53.87	20	6	0	0	Approved
Abolition of Radio and Television Fees	833,837	28.4	2,098,302	71.6	24,215	2,956,354		54.84	0	0	20	6	Rejected
Source: Federal Chancellery of Switzerland 1, 2

June referendums

Two referendums were held on 10 June; one on the Sovereign Money Initiative proposal and one on the Federal Gambling Act.[3]

The Sovereign Money Initiative proposal aims to give the Swiss National Bank a monopoly on money creation.[4] It was launched by the Monetary Modernisation Association, without the support of any political party.[5] The collection of signatures began on 3 June 2014,[4] and the initiative was submitted to the Federal Chancellery on 1 December 2015 with over 110,000 valid signatures, despite its technical subject and without the support of political parties or other civil society organizations.[5] The Federal Assembly recommended rejecting the initiative.

Results

Question	For		Against		Invalid/ blank	Total votes	Registered voters	Turnout %	Cantons for		Cantons against		Result
	Votes	%	Votes	%					Full	Half	Full	Half
Sovereign Money Initiative	442,387	24.3	1,379,540	75.7	44,042	1,865,969	5,400,197	34.6	0	0	20	6	Rejected
Federal Gambling Act	1,326,207	72.9	492,024	27.1	45,723	1,863,954		34.5					Approved
Source: Federal Chancellery of Switzerland 1, 2

September referendums

Three referendums were held on 23 September. The first was aimed at requiring the federal government to consider cycle paths in the same way as footpaths and hiking trails,[6] the second would require the government to promote environmentally sound, animal-friendly and fairly produced foodstuffs,[7] and the third to focus agriculture policy on small, family farms and to promote sustainable, diverse and gene-technology-free agriculture.[8] The cycle paths initiative was approved, whilst the food and agriculture ones were rejected.

Results

Question	For		Against		Invalid/ blank	Total votes	Registered voters	Turnout %	Cantons for		Cantons against		Result
	Votes	%	Votes	%					Full	Half	Full	Half
Cycle Initiative	1,475,000	73.6	529,253	26.4	24,603	2,028,856	5,412,449	37.5	20	6	0	0	Approved
Fair Food Initiative	774,821	38.7	1,227,326	61.3	28,699	2,030,846		37.5	4	0	16	6	Rejected
Agricultural Policy	628,301	31.6	1,358,894	68.4	40,803	2,027,998		37.5	4	0	16	6	Rejected
Source: Federal Chancellery of Switzerland 1, 2, 3

November referendums

Three referendums were held on 25 November. The first proposal aimed to subsidise farmers who did not dehorn their livestock.[9][10][11] The second proposal would have explicitly given the Swiss Federal Constitution precedence over international law whenever the two contradict.[12][13] The third initiative would allow insurance companies to hire their own detectives to spy on individuals suspected of abusing social welfare privileges.[14][15][16]

Results

Question	For		Against		Invalid/ blank	Total votes	Registered voters	Turnout %	Cantons for		Cantons against		Result
	Votes	%	Votes	%					Full	Half	Full	Half
Subsidising farmers not dehorning their livestock	1,144,845	45.3	1,384,027	54.7	89,375	2,618,247	5,420,789	48.3	4	2	16	4	Rejected
Giving the Swiss constitution precedence over international law	872,288	33.7	1,713,501	66.3	38,347	2,624,136		48.4	0	0	20	6	Rejected
Allowing insurance companies to use private detectives	1,667,849	64.7	909,172	35.3	45,370	2,622,391		48.4					Approved
Source: Federal Chancellery of Switzerland 1, 2, 3

References

1. Referendum of 4 March 2018 Federal Council
2. Parliament rejects ‘No Billag’ licence fee initiative SWI, 26 September 2017
3. Objets de la votation populaire du 10 juin 2018 [Objects of the popular vote of 10 June 2018] Federal Chancellery of Switzerland
4. Initiative populaire fédérale « Pour une monnaie à l'abri des crises : émission monétaire uniquement par la Banque nationale ! (Initiative Monnaie pleine) » Federal Chancellery of Switzerland
5. (in French) « Monnaie pleine : une opportunité unique en Suisse pour changer la monnaie », La Revue durable, number 60 titled « Des monnaies pour une prospérité sans croissance », winter-spring 2017-2018, pages 26–29.
6. "Direct counter-proposal to the Bike Initiative". admin.ch. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
7. "Fair Food Initiative". admin.ch. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
8. "Federal Popular Initiative For food sovereignty". admin.ch. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
9. "Horned Cow Initiative". Admin.ch. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
10. Vuilleumier, Marie (26 October 2018). "Are cows happier with their horns?". Swissinfo. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
11. Nebehay, Stephanie (November 20, 2018). "Cows with or without horns? Swiss to vote on Sunday". Reuters. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
12. "Self-determination Initiative". Admin.ch. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
13. Bondolfi, Sibilla (25 October 2018). "'Swiss law first' initiative: what's at stake?". Swissinfo. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
14. "Statutory basis for monitoring claimants". Admin.ch. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
15. Tognina, Andrea (27 October 2018). "Big Brother on the doorstep?". Swissinfo. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
16. "Swiss voters to decide on fate of 'social detectives'". Swissinfo. 5 July 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2018.