Now that I have been facilitatedly naturalized I have received my first Sunday voting papers. I feel that I must go to the Gemeinde at 9.00 sunday morning and use my new "right". However, I am not too sure about what I am voting for. Is there an English version of the issues under discussion? For instance this time it is about Invalidenversicherung (national) and Gesetzes über das Kantons - und Gemeindebürgerrecht (KBüg)(Gebührenregelung) for Kanton Aargau. Be nice when they do online voting and I can copy and paste into altavista. I think I need another 10 years of my german lessons before I understand half of the attached literature.

NZZ Article in English

It's also worth it to hunt the article of Vernunft Schweiz through Babelfish, they don't present their own view and are very factual.

I for one am still undecided, I see the pros and cons. Congratulations on the naturalisation, you'll be called to the ballot box at least quarterly from now on!

Maybe these two posts should be moved in a new thread.

I think we should take a vote on it.

These are very useful links - (for national issues), but I can see why you are undecided on this weeks vote. What if a few months down the road you finally get genuinely flipped out by the job (after 28 years in IT it could happen to me at any time). Be a shame to vote yourself out of any potential benefits. I think the half million registered "mental" people and their immediate families will be voting to keep things as they are. (and probably ensuring they turn up on Sunday).
I could see this voting system catching on in the UK - especially if it was electronic.
Be interesting to see how the vote goes, but also it will be nice to see the look on the faces of the old folk in the Gemeinde house when the token English Auslander of the dorf walks through "their" door with his voting envelope and ID card. They let anybody in these days!! He can't even speak german properly!

lol, very funny. Just out of curiosity why did you decide to become Swiss. I'm also English and married to a Swiss and been here nearly ten years now. Did they make you jump through any hoops to become Swiss. Tests etc. I only heard along time ago about getting tested on the history of Switzerland ?

Last week my mother was also curious about my intentions. The main reason I suppose really was "because I could". I also have Namibian citizenship for the same reason. Right place, right time.
Secondary reasons were that I have a house here, pension here, wife and step son (both naturalized swiss) and you never know what strange laws will get passed in the future. Bit of an insurance policy really. Also the passport looks nice.
Apart from a 45 minute meeting with the Gemeinde and working out the papers and sequences it was not too difficult - 8 months start to finish. Cost about 800 chf.
At the end of the meeting (in the any questions before you go bit) I had to tell them that I enjoy Swiss history and geography, but they did not seems too bothered and it never came up in the main talk. Half the meeting was in english anyway.
I think nowadays they must have really lowered the crtierea - especially when your other half has swiss citizenship. The control and decision making is all in Bern now - the Gemeinde and Kanton do not have much say in the matter (unless there are genuine grievances). Also, I am quite well known in the village for my DIY work and renovation on my home - the villagers still talk about me sending my wife up onto the roof with a rope round her waist wrapped round the chimney to fix some broken tiles (I was too heavy)

ha ha, very funny. My wife would never do that. I know what it's like living in a small Swiss Kaff. I should really think about becoming Swiss as well but never seem to get round to it.

No regrets so far, I went to the UK last week using only my new ID card as a passport - bit more respect than I normally get from the immigration guy at Liverpool airport (probably impressed with a swiss person who has learnt the lancashire dialect) - but being over 40 there was no worries about military service, community work, paying extra tax etc which I have read about on other posts.
Mind you, I would quite fancy the army now - need to lose some weight and it would be a good excuse to escape from work for a few weeks and wander up a few mountains.

I wanted to tell this great story about the first time i went to vote. Jbrady's was an inspiration. For want of doing "a Beatrice" I've decided I'll save it for another day.

I think I'll tell the missus to register so she can vote too (she got naturalised not long ago).

The first time I voted was back in the 80's, for that great initiative to suppress national service. Beforehand, the minister in charge said anything above 25% yes would be a catastrophy, in the end the total was 33% or 37%, can't remember, with two cantons returning a yes majority (Geneva and Jura, two places that have little time for army related matters).

I voted blank on the cantonal subjects and no the federal object, in doubt I just follow my political party (the green) recommendations

since you managed 45 minutes at your Gemeinde, you should have no problems reading this:
http://www.swissinfo.org/ger/abstimm...l?siteSect=300

Consider also looking at the SVP adverts which presently suggest a Yes vote and do the opposite

After my first vote yesterday, I must admit I was quite underwhelmed with the experience.
Inside the Gemeinde building there were just two people guarding a lone voting post box. One was the barmaid from my local restaurant. The door was open between 9.00 and 9.30 and I only saw 2 other people posting their envelopes. Not the big social occassion I was expecting. From now on I will just post the envelope - just as I suspect 95 percent of the village does - leaving me with a free morning with my duvet.
I will just have to buy a "I am now swiss" teeshirt to prove my citizenship - or maybe no-one even cares.

I think the ultimate democracy experience is the Landsgemeinde, but I've never been at one and since I'm not a citizen of the cantons who have them, I can't participate.

Here in Zürich most voting boxes close at midday, and I regularly see running people who arrive between 11:50-11:59, there is a number of dutiful party animals out here...

Another possibility to get in better contact with direct democracy is to become a member of the Wahlbüro (vote office), they're always looking for voluntary vote counters. The municipalities pay a usually small compensation for the few hours of counting on 1-4 sundays a year, but in Zürich it's a nice 30.-/hr. in cash (40.- for the supervisors).

The Landsgemeinde seems my sort of place. Looks life a good occasion for a few beers also.
My current thinking is that as I intend to stay in my house for a good many years - firstly because it is nice and secondly, because the Swiss tax rules make it not a very financially viable proposition to move anytime soon - I may as well concentrate on my German and try and get more involved with the running of my village.
I suppose counting votes would be the equivalent to being office tea boy - you have to start somewhere.
Does anyone else in englishforum work for the Gemeinde I wonder? Or does the running of a village tend to ruled by a small clique of families?

You think you're clever? What's clever is rocking up to the voting with your voting slip as an Englander and voting. Making it plainly obvious to the similar two people that I have no Swiss passport

My wife's bloody lazy on Sunday

The closest I got to voting as an Englander was the last two years before I got my citizenship - my wife did not want to vote so I filled in the voting slips and posted them. I agree, if you can bluff your was through the gemeinde door with no ID and post a photocopied slip - this would be something . I am sure it is possible.

The voluntary vote counting isn't a career starter at the Gemeinde, I think I see it as an exercise in "grassroots democracy", at least in my electoral ward, the space of an entire gymnasium is needed for the counting and it's an experience to have helpers of different social and political backgrounds on your left and right.

I don't work for the Gemeinde myself, but I know somebody who works at a Kreisbüro (office), somebody in the cantonal tax department and somebody who recently absolved an internship at the SVA Zürich (AHV/IV insurance).

Shortly after I was naturalised I returned to the UK and used my Swiss passport. The immigration officer queried why my place of birth on the immigration form (Brentwood) was not the same as in my passport (Bürgerort: Thonex/GE). I told him (with a straight face) that when you become Swiss they can't possibly imagine you being born anywhere other than Switzerland and so they choose a place for you! His only reply was a soft whistle and the comment "blimey, that's tough, innit?"

My experience so far is that they are friendlier and far more welcoming at Heathrow when I present a Swiss passport.
When travelling more widely I tend to put down my Heimatort/place of origin on the immigration forms under place of birth as it's hard work trying to explain the distinction when you don't speak the local language.

I voted for the first time in the June referendum on disability insurance having recently registered to vote as part of the fifth Switzerland.
Although there were plenty of instructions from the Politische Gemeinde on how to put the ballot paper into the envelope and then into another envelope with the voting card, it didn't actually tell you how you vote. I assumed that where it said Antwort you just wrote Ja or Nein. I suppose I was expecting to put an X in one of 2 boxes. Tell me I've not been an idiot and spoilt my vote .