CH-SG
Ordinance on the Permanent Electoral Roll - Operation
Table of Provisions (7)
Statutory Text (7 Articles)
1. The State Chancellery maintains the permanent electoral register according to Article 9a of the Law on Elections and Voting of December 5, 2018.
2. It takes appropriate measures to ensure data protection and information security.
1. The permanent electoral register daily retrieves, in particular, the following personal data from the electoral registers of the political municipalities according to the retrieval procedure outlined in Art. 15 of the Data Protection Act of January 20, 2009
a) Last name and first name;
b) Date of birth;
c) Gender;
d) Nationality;
e) Place of origin;
f) Residential address and delivery address;
g) Information about the municipality of residence;
h) Information concerning registration status;
i) Affiliation to a church community;
j) Personal number;
k) Electoral district data;
l) AHV insurance number;
m) Activity status;
n) Revocation of voting rights;
o) Head of household;
p) Federal building identifier;
q) Federal housing identifier.
2. The municipalities remain responsible for maintaining their electoral registers according to Art. 7 of the Electoral Act (WAG). They are particularly tasked with making changes to data, including recording and deleting entries.
1. The Permanent Voting Register is used for the following purposes
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| a) | by the State Chancellery: | | |
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| | 1. | for the verification of electoral proposals according to [Art. 39](https://www.gesetzessammlung.sg.ch/data/125.3/en/art39) WAG; | |
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| | 2. | for the verification of voting certificates on handwritten signature lists in referendums and initiatives using random samples according to [Art. 26](https://www.gesetzessammlung.sg.ch/data/125.1/en/art26), [Art. 42](https://www.gesetzessammlung.sg.ch/data/125.1/en/art42) para. 2, [Art. 53septies](https://www.gesetzessammlung.sg.ch/data/125.1/en/art53septies) and [Art. 59](https://www.gesetzessammlung.sg.ch/data/125.1/en/art59) of the Act on Referendum and Initiative of 27 November 1967[[5]](#enumeration_itemtext_content_fn_323644_2_5_c); | |
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| | 3. | for the verification of voting eligibility of members of an initiative committee according to [Art. 35](https://www.gesetzessammlung.sg.ch/data/125.1/en/art35) RIG; | |
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| | 4. | for registration for electronic voting according to [Art. 63](https://www.gesetzessammlung.sg.ch/data/125.3/en/art63) WAG; | |
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| | 5. | for the verification of voting eligibility for electronic signing of referendums and initiatives according to [Art. 27a](https://www.gesetzessammlung.sg.ch/data/125.1/en/art27a), [Art. 40](https://www.gesetzessammlung.sg.ch/data/125.1/en/art40) para. 4, [Art. 53septies](https://www.gesetzessammlung.sg.ch/data/125.1/en/art53septies) and [Art. 59](https://www.gesetzessammlung.sg.ch/data/125.1/en/art59) RIG; | |
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| b) | by the municipalities and the State Chancellery for the issuance of voting rights certificates according to [Art. 47](https://www.gesetzessammlung.sg.ch/data/125.3/en/art47) WAG. | | |
1. The competent authority of the State Chancellery has access to all data in the permanent electoral register within the scope of fulfilling its legal duties.
2. The competent authorities of the municipalities have access to the data in the permanent electoral register, insofar as the municipality is responsible for processing the corresponding data.
1. For elections or votes, a municipality can issue voter identification cards using the data from the permanent electoral register in accordance with Art. 47 WAG.
2. For the issuance of voter identification cards for Swiss citizens abroad, the State Chancellery transfers the necessary data into the permanent electoral register before an election or vote.
3. The retention of voter identification cards is governed by Art. 87 WAG.
1. Eligible Voters in the Country Wishing to Use Electronic Voting as per Art. 62 et seq. WAG Must Register. For this, an individual must provide the following personal data on the user platform
a) Last name and first name;
b) Date of birth;
c) AHV insurance number.
2. The registration is successful if an automated comparison with the existing electoral register confirms that
a) the individual is eligible to vote;
b) the respective political municipality offers electronic voting.
3. If a registration is successful, an automated entry is made in the existing electoral register, and a confirmation letter is sent by post to the concerned individual.
4. If an individual opts out of electronic voting, the data will be destroyed after 30 days.
5. Swiss citizens abroad registered in the Canton of St. Gallen can cast their votes electronically without registration. The regulations pursuant to Art. 64 et seq. WAG regarding voting material, procedure, and invalid voting apply accordingly, with the exception of Art. 64 para. 3 WAG.
1. For the verification of voting eligibility for the electronic signing of referendums and initiatives according to [Art. 27a](https://www.gesetzessammlung.sg.ch/data/125.1/de/art27a), [Art. 40](https://www.gesetzessammlung.sg.ch/data/125.1/de/art40) para. 4, [Art. 53septies](https://www.gesetzessammlung.sg.ch/data/125.1/de/art53septies), and [Art. 59](https://www.gesetzessammlung.sg.ch/data/125.1/de/art59) RIG, an automated comparison with the permanent voting register is conducted.
2. The procedure is governed by the Ordinance on Mixed Signature Collection of November 11, 2025[[6]](#paragraphtext_content_fn_535824_2_6_c).