Switzerland cracks down on fake referendum signatures

The Federal Chancellery is getting strict on validating signatures that back popular initiatives in Switzerland. This follows an intense Swiss debate over the validity of supporters in some vote campaigns. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Filling in a relative's name on a motion or referendum form lying around the house before they sign it is a common practice in some households. But since October, these signatures are no longer recognised. + Signature scam reveals cracks in Swiss system The law on political rights has stipulated for many years that names and surnames must be written in the signatory's own handwriting. But the Chancellery now wants to apply this more rigorously. This change has gone almost unnoticed, however, since no press release or other information widely disseminated to citizens has been published. When contacted, the Chancellery defended itself, explaining that the committees currently collecting signatures had indeed been notified ...