Expats push for e-voting and electoral reform

The Council of the Swiss Abroad (CSA) has decided to broaden its electorate and boost the younger generation. The assembly also served as an occasion for repeated calls on the government and the cantons to introduce electronic voting for all Swiss expats by 2019. The 140 member assembly, meeting in the Swiss parliament on Friday, agreed to allow Swiss abroad communities in their countries to extend its electorate. The one-day session took place ahead of the annual Congress of the Swiss Abroad in Bern over the weekend. Following protracted discussions, the delegates voted for a proposal to grant expats, who are not members of Swiss clubs or associations, the right to take part in elections for the Council. Opponents argued the move would deprive the more than 700 Swiss clubs around the world of their power. Matthias Zimmermann, delegate from Germany, repeatedly warned that any easing of rules went against existing rules. “Swiss clubs and associations have an ...