Amendment to the COVID-19 Act (5th revision)

1. Basel-Stadt✓ Yes majority, Yes share 72.0%, Turnout 48%
2. Geneva✓ Yes majority, Yes share 69.9%, Turnout 40%
3. Neuchâtel✓ Yes majority, Yes share 69.1%, Turnout 36%
4. Vaud✓ Yes majority, Yes share 68.2%, Turnout 41%
5. Zurich✓ Yes majority, Yes share 66.5%, Turnout 45%
6. Basel-Landschaft✓ Yes majority, Yes share 63.1%, Turnout 43%
7. Bern✓ Yes majority, Yes share 62.2%, Turnout 44%
8. Fribourg✓ Yes majority, Yes share 61.3%, Turnout 38%
9. Lucerne✓ Yes majority, Yes share 61.2%, Turnout 42%
10. Jura✓ Yes majority, Yes share 60.7%, Turnout 32%
11. Zug✓ Yes majority, Yes share 60.3%, Turnout 51%
12. Solothurn✓ Yes majority, Yes share 60.1%, Turnout 40%
13. Valais✓ Yes majority, Yes share 59.5%, Turnout 39%
14. Aargau✓ Yes majority, Yes share 59.1%, Turnout 41%
15. Graubünden✓ Yes majority, Yes share 58.9%, Turnout 40%
16. Ticino✓ Yes majority, Yes share 57.8%, Turnout 39%
17. Schaffhausen✓ Yes majority, Yes share 55.5%, Turnout 63%
18. Nidwalden✓ Yes majority, Yes share 55.3%, Turnout 50%
19. St. Gallen✓ Yes majority, Yes share 54.7%, Turnout 41%
20. Glarus✓ Yes majority, Yes share 53.6%, Turnout 40%
21. Thurgau✓ Yes majority, Yes share 53.3%, Turnout 42%
22. Appenzell Ausserrhoden✓ Yes majority, Yes share 51.7%, Turnout 46%
23. Uri✓ Yes majority, Yes share 51.5%, Turnout 42%
24. Appenzell Innerrhoden✗ No majority, Yes share 48.5%, Turnout 37%
25. Obwalden✗ No majority, Yes share 47.4%, Turnout 49%
26. Schwyz✗ No majority, Yes share 45.8%, Turnout 49%

✓ Yes majority · ✗ No majority · Turnout %

Sources: Federal Statistical Office (FSO); older votes: Swissvotes, Année Politique Suisse, University of Bern; map base: FSO, GEOSTAT

Cantons by their majority language: Fribourg and Valais count as French-speaking, Bern and Graubünden as German-speaking.

Yes or no?

What exactly is it about?

Since 2020 the COVID-19 Act has been a time-limited legal basis that allows the Confederation to fight the COVID pandemic without emergency law. The people vote on this act for the third time. Many provisions, for example financial support for cultural venues, sports clubs and hardship cases, expired at the end of 2022. In December 2022 Parliament extends some provisions until mid-2024. They allow the Federal Council to continue importing and marketing medicines against COVID-19 that are not yet approved in Switzerland. The Confederation can issue a COVID certificate for travel abroad and require employers to let particularly vulnerable people work, for example from home. It can require the cantons to report how full their hospital beds are. If borders are closed, cross-border commuters must still be able to enter. The SwissCovid app, which is currently switched off, can be reactivated if needed. A referendum is called against the extension, which is why the people vote. A majority of voters is needed. The extension is declared urgent and already applies.

What is disputed?

The Federal Council and Parliament recommend a yes. They argue that the pandemic has weakened strongly but remains unpredictable, so the Confederation should be able to fall back on known instruments in an emergency. As examples they name new medicines for vulnerable people before the approval procedure is finished, and an internationally recognised certificate for travel. They add that the act protects people at higher risk at work and lets cross-border commuters who work in border-region hospitals keep entering if borders close. The referendum committee recommends a no. It argues that the Confederation has declared the pandemic over and lifted all restrictions, so the extension is not needed. In the committee's view, the act makes it possible to bring back a certificate and other measures that treat people unequally at any time, and the certificate is of no use because a worldwide recognised vaccination record exists. The committee also says the Federal Council keeps a large concentration of power.

Party recommendations