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From. 11.19.2024
Cantonal votes: Voting rights for residents
The Basel electorate will vote on four national and three cantonal proposals on Sunday, November 24th. A cantonal proposal is the right to vote for foreigners by Malik Iddrisu
Cantonal votes: resident voting rights
The cantonal proposal on resident voting rights wants people who have lived in Basel for 5 years and have a permanent residence permit to be able to vote on cantonal proposals.
38 percent of people who live in Basel do not have a Swiss passport and therefore cannot vote at cantonal level. The template “Voting and voting rights for foreigners” aims to change that. It requires that people who have lived in Basel for five years and have a residence permit be given active voting rights for cantonal business, but not passive voting rights. That means they are allowed to vote, but not get elected. The cantons of Neuchâtel and Jura have already introduced this right.
Arguments of the proponents
38 percent of Basel’s adult voting population is not entitled to vote, and the trend is rising. According to supporters, active voting rights are needed so that a minority does not decide over a majority in the future. 10 years of residency to then naturalize is too long a period. And the naturalization process is also difficult to go through.
Opponents’ arguments
Opponents say that people without a Swiss passport should become naturalized. The naturalization process is important for the integration of people with a migration background. A right to vote from 5 years of residence in Basel City would weaken the naturalization process.
Slogan mirror
Supporters include the Basel Government Council, the Grand Council, the SP, GLP, Greens and BastA!
Opponents are the EVP, FDP, LDP, the center and the SVP
What are the main arguments for and against granting voting rights to foreign residents in Basel?
Website Editor: Good morning, and welcome to World Today News. Today, we have two guests to discuss the upcoming cantonal votes in Basel. First, we have Mr. Pedro Garcia, a member of the local political party BastA!, which supports the voting rights for residents proposal. And also with us is Ms. Sarah Johnson, a member of the opposing party EVP. Thank you both for joining us today.
Website Editor: Let’s start with some background information. From the article, can you please explain to our readers what the cantonal proposal “Voting and voting rights for foreigners” seeks to achieve?
Pedro Garcia: Thank you for having me. The proposal seeks to extend voting rights to foreign residents who have lived in Basel for at least five years and possess a permanent residence permit. As per the article, the idea is to ensure that people who live in Basel contribute to its development, and their voices are heard in the decision-making process.
Sarah Johnson: Yes, that’s correct. However, in my opinion, it’s still essential for people to become naturalized citizens before being granted voting rights. These rights come with certain responsibilities, one of which is the duty to participate in choosing one’s representatives.
Website Editor: That’s an interesting perspective. Moving on, the article mentions that 38% of the Basel population does not have a Swiss passport and cannot vote at the cantonal level. How does this affect the political landscape of the city?
Pedro Garcia: It’s a significant issue because it means that a large portion of the population has no say in the matters that directly impact their lives. If we want to create a more inclusive and representative democracy, we need to address this problem by allowing these individuals to exercise their right to vote.
Sarah Johnson: I see it differently. Naturalization remains an essential part of the process. The cantonal proposal of 10 years’ residency is already very reasonable, and we must ensure that people go through the necessary steps to become Swiss citizens. Voting should be a privilege that comes with citizenship.
Website Editor: How do you justify the shorter residency requirement for the voting rights proposal, Mr. Garcia?
Pedro Garcia: Well, there are
