End-of-year review 2017: e-voting in use in Switzerland 30.01.2018
In 2017, e-voting systems were used in 33 votes on different levels (federal, cantonal, municipal) in eight cantons. In the canton of Neuchâtel, e-voting was also used in the cantonal elections in April. Among the voters eligible for e-voting, between 31% and 64% used the online channel.
The digital voting channel was made available to different electoral groups, depending on the canton. A total of 490,241 ballot papers eligible for the online channel were submitted, of which 114,414 votes were actually cast via the Internet. Assuming a voting turnout of 50%, this would mean an average usage of the channel by 46% of eligible voters.
The canton of Neuchâtel used e-voting most frequently: on five Sundays, voters were able to cast their vote electronically in a total of eight ballots (cantonal elections, communal, cantonal and federal votes). The tables below provide an overview of the usage statistics per canton. The percentages relate to the share of all electronic votes received from voters who were eligible for e-voting.
Canton of Fribourg
Eligible for e-voting: Swiss citizens resident abroad only; from 24.9.2017, also residents of the municipality of Treyvaux.
| Date | Type | Share of electronic votes* | Number of electronic votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12.02.17 | Federal vote | 46%** | 859*** |
| 21.05.17 | Federal vote | 46% | 788 |
| 24.09.17 | Federal vote | 46% | 1,063 |
* Share of electronic votes among all votes cast by voters eligible to use the online channel.
** Example: On 12 February, 46% of voters in the canton of Fribourg who were eligible for e-voting and took part in the vote cast their vote electronically.
*** Example: On 12 February, 859 votes were submitted electronically in the canton of Fribourg.
Canton of Geneva
Eligible for e-voting: citizens registered for e-voting in their canton.
| Date | Type | Share of electronic votes | Number of electronic votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12.02.17 | Federal vote | 64% | 20,812 |
| 21.05.17 | Federal, cantonal and municipal vote | 61% | 19,020 |
| 24.09.17 | Federal, cantonal and municipal vote | 58% | 20,337 |
Canton of Neuchâtel
Eligible for e-voting: citizens registered on Guichet Unique, the public authorities portal.
| Date | Type | Share of electronic votes | Number of electronic votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12.02.17 | Federal and cantonal vote | n/a | 7,272 |
| 02.04.17 | Cantonal elections | n/a | 4,956 |
| 21.05.17 | Federal and municipal vote | n/a | 5,003 |
| 24.09.17 | Federal and cantonal vote | n/a | 6,488 |
| 26.11.17 | Cantonal vote | n/a | 4,477 |
Canton of Basel-Stadt
Eligible for e-voting: Swiss citizens resident abroad and people with disabilities (upon registration).
| Date | Type | Share of electronic votes | Number of electronic votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12.02.17 | Federal and cantonal vote | 64% | 1,687 |
| 21.05.17 | Federal and cantonal vote | 65% | 1,505 |
| 24.09.17 | Federal vote | 63% | 1,623 |
Canton of Berne
Eligible for e-voting: Swiss citizens resident abroad
| Date | Type | Share of electronic votes | Number of electronic votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12.02.17 | Federal vote | 60%* | 3,388 |
| 21.05.17 | Federal and cantonal vote | 60%* | 1,760 |
| 24.09.17 | Federal vote | 60%* | 3,398 |
*Average of the first six years of operation (2012-2017); details not provided.
Canton of Lucerne
Eligible for e-voting: Swiss citizens resident abroad
| Date | Type | Share of electronic votes | Number of electronic votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12.02.17 | Federal vote | 62% | 1,049 |
| 21.05.17 | Federal and cantonal vote | 61% | 930 |
| 24.09.17 | Federal and cantonal vote | 61% | 1,004 |
Canton of Aargau
Eligible for e-voting: Swiss citizen resident abroad only
| Date | Type | Share of electronic votes | Number of electronic votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24.09.17 | Federal vote | 55% | 1,380 |
Canton of St. Gallen
Eligible for e-voting: Swiss citizens resident abroad as well as residents of four municipalities (Vilters-Wangs, Jona, Goldach, Kirchberg)
| Date | Type | Share of electronic votes | Number of electronic votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24.09.17 | Federal vote | 31% | 5,615 |
