Vaud: Foreign Residents’ Voting Rights Expanded
- Foreign residents in the Swiss canton of Vaud may soon find it easier to participate in local elections.
- Currently, foreign residents in Vaud can vote and run for office at the municipal level if they are at least 18 years old, have lived in Vaud with...
- The approved change, passed by a 70-67 vote, would halve the swiss residency requirement to five years.
Vaud Considers Easing Voting Role for Foreign Residents
Foreign residents in the Swiss canton of Vaud may soon find it easier to participate in local elections. The cantonal parliament on June 10 narrowly approved a measure to reduce the required period of Swiss residency for foreign residents to vote in municipal elections.
Currently, foreign residents in Vaud can vote and run for office at the municipal level if they are at least 18 years old, have lived in Vaud with a B or C permit for three continuous years, and have resided in Switzerland for at least 10 years. This provision has been in place since 2003.
The approved change, passed by a 70-67 vote, would halve the swiss residency requirement to five years. An attempt to reduce the cantonal residency requirement to one year failed.
Before the change takes effect, Vaud voters will have the final say in a referendum. The parliament rejected extending voting rights to foreign residents at the cantonal level.
What is the situation elsewhere?
Only Neuchâtel and Jura, both French-speaking cantons, permit foreign residents to vote in cantonal elections and referendums, subject to specific conditions. Neuchâtel requires a residence permit and five years of cantonal residency. Jura mandates 10 years of Swiss residency and one year in the canton.
Municipal voting rights for foreign residents are more common. Fribourg, Geneva, Basel-City, Graubünden, and Appenzell Ausserrhoden, in addition to Vaud, Neuchâtel and Jura, allow municipalities to include long-term foreign residents in local votes.
Though, not all municipalities within these cantons extend voting rights to foreign residents. Only some communities in Graubünden and Appenzell Ausserrhoden do, and none in Basel-City.
What’s next
Vaud voters will decide in an upcoming referendum whether to lower the residency requirement, potentially expanding the role of foreign residents in municipal governance.