AHV initiatives ensure above-average voter turnout
Published: Sunday, Mar 3rd 2024, 17:30
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The two national popular initiatives on old-age provision mobilized the electorate to an above-average extent: The 58.3 percent turnout for the 13th AHV pension was the ninth highest for a vote since the introduction of women's suffrage in 1971.
"This is the second sensation today - alongside the Yes to the 13th AHV pension," said political scientist Lukas Golder on Swiss television (SRF) on Sunday. Ultimately, the high voter turnout shows "that we are experiencing incredibly energetic politics and that this trend will continue after the pandemic".
Voters were carried away by intense, emotional debates and were quite willing to vote against the opinion of the Federal Council and parliament. According to Golder, this is "an expression of a new media shift". The campaign committees invested a lot of money.
The population also participates via the internet, for example via social media, says Golder. Today, there are opportunities to form favorable networks. "Voters themselves are now the promoters of campaigns."
Upward trend after the turn of the millennium
Even more voting activity has so far been generated, for example, by EEA accession in 1992 with a 78.7 percent turnout, the "Against Immigration" initiative in 1974 with a 70.3 percent turnout and the "Switzerland without an army" initiative in November 1989 with a 69.2 percent turnout.
Until 1950, voter turnout in Switzerland averaged around 60 percent. In the following 20-year cycles, it initially fell to 48% and then 41%. In some years, not even 40 percent of the electorate bothered to go to the polls.
Since the turn of the millennium, participation has risen again, most recently to 46%. This is the average for 2011-2020 according to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). According to Golder, the "willingness to participate" could remain high in the future. However, each proposal must be looked at separately.
©Keystone/SDA
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