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It was one of the closest results in the history of the Swiss vote: 8,760 votes were the deciding factor in allowing the army to buy new combat aircraft. While Defense Minister Viola Amherd (58, CVP) now has to deal with the fact that a fortuitous outcome has ensured the existence of the Air Force, the group for a Switzerland without an Army (GSoA) smells the morning air and examine an initiative.
Another unpleasant aspect of the result is that not all Swiss citizens were able to exercise their voting rights. Swiss abroad complain that they did not receive their voting papers at all or too late because of the Crown. Katja Walliman-Gates, a delegate from the Council of Swiss Abroad living in Australia, even talks to “Swissinfo” about 30,000 Swiss abroad who were unable to participate in decision-making, “conservatively estimated”.
The Swiss abroad said no
30,000 voters who were prevented from participating in the decision to buy new combat aircraft, who, with less than 9,000 votes, went to the yes field, is that correct? And would the voices have made a difference?
The ASO organization for the Swiss Abroad is cautious. Director Ariane Rustichelli says: “Except when it comes to international or migration issues, the Swiss abroad do not vote significantly differently.”
However, a look at the cantons’ statistics, which have figures on their expatriates, shows that the Swiss abroad whose votes were received would have let the fighter jets fail. The approval rate is 46 percent.
Difficult estimate
However, it remains to be seen whether those who could not have reversed the result. It cannot be clarified how many actually did not receive their voting envelope. In Switzerland’s most populous canton, Zurich, the documents are said to have been sent on August 17. It is not possible to estimate if everyone arrived on time. Furthermore, Swiss abroad exercise their voting rights on average with less diligence.
The OSA did not notice more complaints than usual about delayed election documents. “The failure of documents to arrive or arrive too late even in neighboring European countries was a problem even before Corona,” says Rustichelli. There was also great concern that they could not have a voice in the SVP’s restriction initiative with its consequences for the free movement of people.
Walliman-Gates, who lives in Australia and who put the number 30,000 in the world, could not be reached for VIEW on Tuesday. For once, this shouldn’t be because of Corona, but because of the time difference.
No right to early delivery
Although the Swiss abroad complain time and again that they have been prevented from exercising their voting rights, the Federal Supreme Court has so far not heard their complaints. This is also underlined by the case of former Councilor for States Filippo Lombardi (CVP, 64), himself OSA vice president: he missed reelection in 2019 by just 46 votes. He had to vacate the seat of the Ticino Council of States for the current SVP party chairman Marco Chiesa (45).
A lawsuit by a Ticino lawyer failed in federal court: municipalities must send the documents well in advance. But there is no right to receive them abroad on any given day, as the authorities cannot control all mail deliveries to the farthest corners of the world.
According to Rustichelli, the ASO is not planning any further steps as a protest due to the latest vote on Sunday. However, he hopes to improve. “It is imperative that the Federal Chancellery now take a leadership role in electronic voting,” he says. This increased the likelihood that Swiss citizens living abroad would also have a say.
