Romands Go to the Polls Less Diligently Than German-Swiss
Published: Monday, Oct 23rd 2023, 15:50
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In the 2023 Swiss federal elections, the French-speaking Romands participated less than the German-speaking Swiss. In all French-speaking cantons except Valais, the voter turnout was significantly lower than the national average of 46.6%. In Geneva, 39.9% of the eligible voters went to the polls, in Vaud 40.1%, in Neuchâtel 40.3%, in Jura 43.6% and in Fribourg 45.4%. Only in Valais did the turnout exceed the Swiss average, at 48.7%. However, in this mountain canton, the turnout reached a new low since at least 1995.
Political scientists have not been able to explain the lower turnout in the West of Switzerland. In the two most populous French-speaking cantons of Vaud and Geneva, as well as in Neuchâtel, the turnout has consistently been a few percentage points below the national average since 1919.
In the bilingual canton of Valais, the German-speaking minority voted more actively. 59.4% of the eligible voters went to the polls in the German-speaking part, compared to 49.1% in the French-speaking part of the canton and 43.4% in the Lower Valais.
In the bilingual canton of Bern, the turnout was lowest in the French-speaking Jura, at 38.4%. The overall turnout in the canton was 49.7%. In the bilingual canton of Fribourg, there were no significant differences between the German-speaking minority and the French-speaking majority. The highest turnout was in the French-speaking Glane district, at 47.2%. In the bilingual See district, the turnout was 47.4%, and in the German-speaking Sense district, it was 47.2%.
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