In the second round of four referendums scheduled for 2024, Swiss citizens will vote on June 9th on several issues of national importance — some more controversial than others.

Among the most contentious topics are the two initiatives seeking to curb the cost of the obligatory health insurance — one by capping the premiums at 10 percent of income, and the other by  providing a ‘brake’ on health costs, which should evolve according to the economy and wages.

READ ALSO: How Switzerland’s two crucial health insurance referendums could impact you

There is also the ‘physical integrity initiative,’ as well as one seeking to strengthen Switzerland’s energy supply by investing in renewable sources.

In addition to these four national issues, some cantons will hold their own referendums as well.

Two most of the most controversial ones will be in Geneva

The first concerns extended voting rights for foreigners

Voters will have the task of deciding whether foreigners living in their midst should have their political rights ‘upgraded’ from communal to cantonal ones — not only to vote, but also to run for elective offices, which no canton grants its non-Swiss residents. 

While supporters of the initiative point out that such a move would enable resident foreigners to have more political impact, opponents argue that “the only path for foreigners to obtain full political rights is through naturalisation.” 

READ ALSO: Could Geneva be first Swiss canton to grant foreign residents more voting rights? 

Ban on ’emblems of hatred’

Geneva voters will also weigh in on another issue: whether to ban “the exhibition or wearing of symbols, emblems and any other object of hatred, particularly Nazi, in public spaces.” 

The new constitutional article would also state that the canton should implement a policy to combat discrimination and hatred.

All parties except one support this move — the only opponents are from the right-wing Swiss People’s (SVP), who argue that Nazi symbols already constitute a criminal offence in Switzerland.

Also,“who will determine which symbols are allowed and which symbols are prohibited?”  the party says on its website. “Will the hammer crossed with the sickle – symbol of communism – be tolerated or banned? What will be the criteria for prohibition and tolerance and how to avoid arbitrariness?

Unfortunately, the SVP is not the only one calling for a ‘no’ vote.

According to Tribune de Genève, “a few isolated individuals are mobilising against this proposal. They are nostalgic for the Third Reich; their pastimes consist of covering the walls of Geneva with swastikas, SS acronyms and anti-Semitic or racist slogans. In other words, the ones targeted by this vote. 

Are there any other initiatives on ballots?

A number of cantons —Zurich, Vaud, and Basel among them — will not have any cantonal issues up for vote on June 9th.

Here are some others:

Zug — Bike lanes and political financing

Voters will decide on a constitutional initiative for a “safe, direct and continuous bicycle network” to be implemented in the canton by 2030.

They will also weigh in on another constitutional issue — the so-called Transparency Initiative — for the disclosure of political financing. 

Fribourg: Medical emergencies

Voters will have to decide on constitutional initiative, as well as on a counter-project developed by the parliament, which seeks to  ensure a public hospital emergency service operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, throughout the entire canton.

This vote is driven by the cut in health services on the outskirts, which caused an increase in emergencies and an overload of cases in the hospitals in the city of Fribourg.

Who can vote on cantonal issues?

As is the case with national referendums, only Swiss citizens over the age of 18 are eligible to vote.

This includes dual nationals as well.

If you fit into this category, you have already received your ballot in the mail, with both national and cantonal agenda.

The ballots should be received by your municipality by Sunday 11 am at the latest, as counting begins at noon sharp.

Alternatively, you can vote on in person on site, on Sunday morning, at your local communal building.