The market for fake signatures weighs heavily on municipalities

Published on September 18, 2024 at 5:59 p.m. / Modified on September 18, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.

The controversy broke out in early September. According to revelations from the Tamedia group newspapers, thousands of falsified signatures were allegedly sent by the Lausanne organization Incop, as part of the collection of signatures for popular initiatives. This company, which comes to the aid of parties or associations when fishing for “claws” is not successful enough, is the subject of a criminal complaint filed in June 2023 by Service Citoyen. The association, which wanted to replace compulsory military service with community service for all, accuses the Lausanne firm of having returned numerous erroneous signatures. The Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Confederation (MPC) has been notified.

These suspicions had the effect of a bomb. On the front line, the municipalities that are responsible for carrying out the verification. In Lausanne, the administration receives between 500 and 3,000 signatures each week, to be processed within fifteen days. Once this work is done, the city must return the initials to the committee or party that originated the initiative. “This work is carried out by auxiliary staff throughout the year,” explains Amélie Nappey-Barrail, head of the Communications Office. “We can rely on software that allows us to enter all the signatures with name, first name, address and date of birth to confirm that the person exists and that their vote is valid.”

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