Jump to content

1879 Swiss referendums

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Two referendums were held in Switzerland in January and May 1879.[1] A federal law on subsidies for railways in the Alps was passed by 70.7% of voters on 19 January, whilst a referendum on abolishing the constitutional ban on the death penalty on 18 May was passed by 52.5% of voters and a majority of cantons. Following the vote, ten of the 26 cantons reintroduced the death penalty during the 1880s and 1890s and nine executions occurred before its nationwide abolition in 1938, when a new criminal code (which overrode cantonal penal codes) was approved in a referendum.

Background

[edit]

The January referendum on rail subsidies was classed as an optional referendum,[1] which meant that only a majority of the public vote was required for the proposals to be approved. The referendum on the death penalty involved amending article 65 of the federal constitution, and was a mandatory referendum,[1] which required both a majority of voters and cantons to approve the proposals.[2]

Results

[edit]

Federal law on rail subsidies

[edit]
Choice Votes %
For 278,731 70.7
Against 115,571 29.3
Invalid/blank votes
Total 394,302 100
Registered voters/turnout 636,996
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

Constitutional amendment on the death penalty

[edit]
Choice Popular vote Cantons
Votes % Full Half Total
For 200,485 52.5 13 4 15
Against 181,588 47.5 6 2 7
Invalid/blank votes
Total 351,606 100 19 6 22
Registered voters/turnout 633,138
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, pp1902–1903 ISBN 9783832956097
  2. ^ Nohlen & Stöver, p1891