Guidelines for the drafting of official voting explanations - Substantive Principles

**1. Proposals of the Cantonal Council subject to a popular vote shall be accompanied by a brief and objective explanatory statement by the Council of State.**

2. The directorate responsible for the subject matter drafts the explanatory report and submits it to the Council of State for approval.

3. The explanatory report generally contains

a) a brief overview of the voting proposal ("In Brief");

b) the actual explanation of the voting proposal;

c) the results of the deliberations in the Cantonal Council, including the arguments of significant minorities;

d) the result of the final vote in the Cantonal Council;

e) the voting recommendations of the Cantonal Council and the Council of State;

f) the voting proposal as adopted by the Cantonal Council;

g) in the case of partial revisions of statutory enactments, a comparative presentation of existing and new law.

4. The following principles apply to referendums on initiatives and referendums

a) The arguments of the sponsor committees are briefly presented.

b) The directorate responsible for the subject matter invites the sponsor committees to submit their statements in a timely manner.

c) The Council of State usually incorporates the arguments of the sponsor committees unchanged into its explanatory report. It may amend or reject statements that are defamatory, evidently false, or do not comply with the requirements regarding volume.

5. If the subject of the vote concerns an area of law under the jurisdiction of the courts, the High Court or the Administrative Court may draft the explanatory statement instead of the Council of State.

6. If the subject of the vote concerns an area under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Cantonal Council, the competence of cantonal council commissions remains reserved.

1. The voting explanation is a crucial communication tool and a business card for the canton. Therefore, the necessary resources are utilized.

2. It is recognizable as a unified product in form, structure, and visual presentation.

3. It convincingly presents the content both textually and visually.

4. It is generally produced in four colors and in A5 format.

5. The actual voting explanation typically comprises 12 to 16 pages, including cover pages and photos. Depending on the proposal, the legal or initiative text is added. The print template of the legal text is adopted.

6. The front page visually and textually communicates the core message (subject matter and the stance/recommendation of the cantonal council and the government council). Page 2 contains the table of contents, page 3 and possibly page 4 contain the main arguments, providing the key reasons for a yes or no from the cantonal council and the government council.

7. The canton's corporate design is implemented in the design.

8. The ratio of text to illustration (images, tables) is a maximum of 2/3 to 1/3.

9. The language and writing style are simple and understandable. A professional proofreading is conducted for the final text.

10. The responsible directorate is accountable for the realization of the voting explanation. The communications officer is involved from the beginning. They advise on conception, text, design, and production process.

11. If the government council, for constitutional reasons, holds a different opinion from the cantonal council, its recommendation in addition to that of the cantonal council may state: "The government council recommends...".

1. In the case of extensive or complex proposals, voters may be referred to supplementary documents in the voting explanations, which can be accessed at the relevant administrative office or online.

1. These provisions shall apply mutatis mutandis to the municipalities as well.

1. The Guidelines for the Design of Official Voting Explanations of August 28, 2000, are repealed.

2. These guidelines shall be published in the Official Gazette and included in the Official Collection of Laws. They shall enter into force on the day following their publication in the Official Gazette.