How are they elected?
As with the federal government, the members of the cantonal parliaments are elected directly by the people. The cantonal parliaments vary in size, from between 50 members in the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden and 180 in the canton of Zurich. The rule of thumb is that the more inhabitants a canton has, the larger its parliament.
Cantonal parliaments have only one chamber, in contrast to the Federal Assembly, which consists of two chambers: the National Council and the Council of States.
As a rule, the proportional representation system applies to the elections: this means that each party receives the number of seats that corresponds to its share of the vote. For example, if a party receives 20 per cent of the votes, it is also entitled to about 20 per cent of all seats.
When are they elected?
As a rule, these elections take place every four years. Exceptions are the cantons of Fribourg, Vaud, Geneva and Jura, where elections are held every five years.
How are they elected?
Unlike the Federal Council, the Swiss government, the governments of the 26 cantons are elected directly by the people. The number of government members ranges from five to seven, depending on the canton.
As a rule, elections for members of the cantonal governments are held according to the simple majority system: The candidates with the most votes are elected. One exception is the canton of Ticino, where elections are held according to the proportional representation system (see explanation above in the section on the election of the cantonal parliaments. In the canton of Bern, the Bernese Jura, the French-speaking minority of the canton, gets one of the seven seats.
When are they elected?
As a rule, these elections take place every four years. Exceptions are the cantons of Fribourg, Vaud, Geneva and Jura, where elections are held every five years, and the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden, where elections are held every year.
Requirements and information for each canton
To stand for election as a member to the cantonal parliament or government and/ or to participate in elections of these candidates, you must:
be at least 18 years old (in the canton of Glarus, 16-year-olds are already eligible to vote, but only those who are at least 18 years old can be elected),
be Swiss and
not be under general deputyship due to permanent lack of capacity of judgement.
The cantons regulate the details of candidacy in their constitution and laws
Contacts and information on how to participate in cantonal parliamentary and governmental elections, by canton:
Can foreign nationals participate in the election?
The cantons of Jura and Neuchâtel grant foreign nationals the right to vote and take part in referendums under certain conditions – but not the right to stand for election. So far, foreign nationals cannot stand for election to the government or parliament in any canton.
The Federal Statistical Office publishes maps on the cantons and communes that give foreign nationals the right to vote.