On this date, February 13, 2011, the Swiss Gun Control Referendum was held. I will post information about this referendum from Wikipedia.
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Switzerland supports the 2nd amendment and has a low crime rate. |
A referendum was held in Switzerlandon 13 February 2011 on the federal popular initiative"For the protection against gun violence" ("Für den Schutz vor Waffengewalt"/"Pour la protection face à la violence des armes"/"Per la protezione dalla violenza perpetrata con le armi"). It was rejected by 56% of voters and a majority of cantons.
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Michael Buholzer / Reuters Swiss marksmen shoot at targets over 300 m away during an annual shooting-skills exercise near Bern |
Initiative
The initiative foresees that guns can no longer be kept at home, but must be stored at the arsenal (Zeughaus) instead, that possession of a gun should be linked to a screening of the ability and necessity of the gunholder, and that all guns should be registered. Left-wing parties (SP, Greens, CSP) and the GLP are mostly in favour of the proposal, with right-wing parties (SVP, FDP, CVP, BDP) opposed.
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A citizen practicing the yearly mandatory training. |
Opinion polls
According to polls from January 2011, the initiative was favoured by 45% of respondents, with 34% opposed and a relatively high amount of undecideds at 21%. A second poll from two weeks before the referendum saw a closening of the polls, with 47% to 45% in favour.
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A "shooting society" somewhere in Switzerland; people come to such ranges to complete mandatory training with service arms, or to shoot for sport and competition. |
Results
More than half, 56.3%, of all voters were against the initiative, with only the cantons of Basel-Stadt, Zurich, Geneva, Jura, Vaud and Neuchâtel in support; this meant the initiative would have narrowly passed in western Switzerland, but clearly failed in the German-speaking parts. In Switzerland, the passing of a constitutional amendment by initiative requires a double majority; not only must a majority of people vote for the amendment but also a majority of cantons give their consent.
Choice | Popular vote | Cantons | |||
Votes | % | Full | Half | Total | |
For | 1,083,312 | 43.70 | 5 | 1 | 5.5 |
Against | 1,395,812 | 56.30 | 15 | 5 | 17.5 |
Invalid/blank votes | 22,136 | – | – | – | – |
Total | 2,501,260 | 100 | 20 | 6 | 23 |
Registered voters/turnout | 5,091,652 | 49.12 | – | – | – |
Source: Direct Democracy | |||||