The Legal basis of the Election System of the Swiss Confederation

Abstract

This article focuses on general characteristics and legal basis of the election system of the Swiss Confederation - the member-state of the United Nations, which ranks ninth place in the world in the Human Development Index according to the UN Human Development Report of 2013. The author examines and analyzes the federal election legislation and the election legislation of the cantons, highlights its main characteristics and principles, as well as analyzes the relation between the federal and the cantonal election law. Special emphasis is paid to the rules of the election results appeal, as well as to the legal liability for electoral violations. Thus, the basis of democratic elections are ensured by transparency of the electoral process and mechanisms for the protection of citizens’ constitutional rights.