The term burqa did not officially appear on the ballots, but it is clear to everyone that it is about that kind of face covering. There are an estimated 30 people in Switzerland wearing a burqa, according to local media
“Stop radical Islam!”
Campaign posters with the lyrics “Stop radical Islam!” and “Stop Extremism!” featuring a woman in a black niqab, have been posted in many cities. Opponents of the ban use the slogan ‘No to an absurd, useless and Islamophobic’ anti-burqa ‘law’. The ban would mean that no one should completely cover their face in public places. There are exceptions, such as in places of worship.
A large majority has also clearly opposed a special ‘electronic identity’. The government wants to create a legal framework to give the Swiss an ‘e-ID’ that would make many administrative or financial matters much easier via the internet. According to the federal government, the country is far behind other European countries in this area. But in the referendum, most turned against the bill, fearing that the Swiss government will turn on private internet companies and that this poses dangers to both citizens and the state.
There is also a nationwide vote on a free trade agreement with Indonesia. Locally, all kinds of administrative questions are answered in numerous referendums by the ‘Stimmvolk’. In Zurich, for example, voters must agree to the construction of a park to cover a section of motorway in a project that turns out to be much more expensive than previously intended. Poor residents of the canton of Geneva can count on more financial assistance thanks to a referendum on Sunday. In St. Moritz a proposal to give all foreigners the right to vote has been voted down. There are also local or cantonal elections in some places. Swiss referendums are usually held on a Sunday morning and polling stations close at noon. But Swiss people can also vote by mail or e-mail the previous week.
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