Record Turnout for National Council Elections: 46.6% Voter Participation
Published: Monday, Oct 23rd 2023, 09:51
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On Sunday, 46.6 percent of eligible voters went to the polls for the National Council elections. Voter turnout increased by 1.5 percentage points compared to 2019. It only decreased in four cantons - the decline was particularly sharp in Appenzell Innerrhoden. This year, the voter turnout in Appenzell Innerrhoden was 24.5 percent, according to figures from the Federal Statistical Office (BFS). In 2019, 48.7 percent of those eligible to vote cast their ballots for the National Council (-24.2 percentage points). Thomas Rechsteiner, a centrist politician from Appenzell Innerrhoden, ran unopposed for his re-election. He attributed the low voter turnout to the fact that he was the only candidate in the race. Glarus has seen the strongest growth. In the canton of Valais, the voter turnout for the National Council elections decreased from 54.1 percent in 2019 to 48.7 percent in 2023 (-5.4 percentage points), according to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (BFS). In Ticino, the turnout decreased by 1.6 percentage points to 48.0 percent. In the canton of Vaud, voter turnout decreased from 41.4 percent in 2019 to 40.1 percent this year. In all other cantons, the turnout for the National Council elections increased. The canton of Glarus saw the strongest increase: this year, 48.0 percent of eligible voters went to the polls, compared to 39.9 percent in 2019. In the canton of Schaffhausen, the highest voter turnout was recorded for the National Council election, with 61.6 percent of eligible voters casting their ballots. In Schaffhausen, voting and referendums are mandatory - those who do not vote must pay a fine of six Swiss francs for each missed election. ©Keystone/SDA
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