Switzerland: The collection of digital signatures is coming to fruition

Signatures for popular initiatives and referendums must be collected through digital channels. The Council of States supported a PLR motion, following the falsified initials scandal. The National will still have to give the green light.

The affair broke out in the fall, when media reports revealed that commercial companies were suspected of forging signatures. Subsequently, new abusive practices were discovered.

Several criminal complaints have been filed. The Confederation has taken initial measures in terms of control and monitoring. The Federal Chancellery also organized a round table to improve transparency and develop a code of conduct for initiative committees and signature collection organizations, focusing on self-regulation of the actors involved.

The scandal caused a strong reaction from elected officials from all sides under the Federal Dome.

Accelerate the movement

Security is not the only issue, efficiency also requires that the collection of signatures, crucial from the point of view of democracy, enters the digital era earlier than expected. The collection and verification processes must be digitalized, demands the motion of Senator Benjamin Mühlemann (PLR/GL).

Now is not the time for trivial solutions, such as bans or the creation of additional rules, said Mr. Mühlemann. “The Federal Council is far too conservative on the issue.” We need to start now, with a solid platform that we can adapt and improve over time. Digital harvesting is also less risky than electronic voting.

First tests

The government believes that the time has not yet come to completely change the situation, argued Federal Chancellor Viktor Rossi. Work relating to electronic harvesting should, initially, enable experience to be gained by testing electronic harvesting on a small scale and should be carried out with the view that electronic harvesting should not replace the harvest on paper, but complete it.

The Federal Council has also recently opened the door to electronic harvesting tests. The Chancellery is responsible for developing a first project.

Mr. Mühlemann’s motion does not leave this room, regretted Mr. Rossi. But the Council of States supported the motion by 20 votes to 15 and 3 abstentions. She also tacitly supported a motion from Matthias Michel (PLR/ZG), who requests a pilot project which would make it possible to use the future electronic identity, expected for 2026, as part of the digitization of collections.

Prohibition to re-discuss

The House was initially also expected to debate socialist motions on the subject. The PS intended to tighten the screw. One, from Baptiste Hurni (PS/NE), calls for an outright ban on remuneration of external companies for collecting signatures.

Another text by Carlo Sommaruga (PS/GE) calls for an obligation of transparency on the budgets, donations and collections of the organizations concerned, based on the model of the rules for financing parties and campaigns.

In both cases, the Federal Council is opposed, believing that the texts go too far. The senators sent the texts back to committee for in-depth discussions, as well as a motion from Johanna Gapany (PLR/FR) on the subject, which calls for a more transparent legal framework.

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