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The canton of Valais has increased security when voting by post. Now critics fear that this arrangement will lead to fewer people participating in Sunday’s elections. On this day, Swiss voters determine the new parliament in Bern.
At the beginning of 2021, every voting Valais received a sheet with various self-adhesive labels.
The name and place of residence of the person entitled to vote are stated on it. At every vote or election, one of the labels distributed two years ago must now be stuck on the voting card. Otherwise the vote is invalid.
Are there no messy Valais at the ballot box?
A few days before the elections, many Valais residents were desperate for their labels, says Stefanie Kalbermatter-Amacker, vice-president of the Upper Valais Public Administration Employees Association (MöVO) and deputy municipal secretary in Raron. “In recent weeks, many people noticed that they were missing the labels and ordered more,” Kalbermatter-Amacker told Blick. “In the municipality of Raron, a fee is due for reordering the labels.”
She heard similar things from her colleagues in other communities. However, Kalbermatter-Amacker went on to say that some voters would also refrain from voting and voting because they could no longer find their labels and did not want to reorder them for a fee. She kept her labels safely in the drawer of her oven.
There is no etiquette required at the urn
The MöVO association has been critical of the Kleberli since its introduction and sees it as an additional cost item for staff and voters. There are also some communities where they can be reordered for free.
“Many people tell me that they can no longer find the personalized labels,” says Philipp Matthias Bregy (45, councilor of the Central National Council of Valais). He then advises these people to vote at the polls on Sunday, then they will not need the glue.
However, Bregy has a certain understanding for all those who are now having their budgets turned upside down. «I’m glad my wife took care of my labels so I can find them again. Otherwise there is a big risk that I will have to search for it for a long time,” says Bregy, laughing.
How many Valais residents voted by post in these elections without sticking the mandatory label can only be determined after the elections.
In the beginning it was a scam
The reason for the Kleberli demand was voter fraud in the 2017 Grand Council elections. At that time, approximately 190 election envelopes were fished and stolen from letterboxes in Brig, Naters and Visp. The election fraud came to light at the time because affected voters complained that they had not received voting documents.
But their signed voting card had already been received by letter. The police discovered the fraudster: In September 2018, a Swiss from Upper Valais was sentenced to twelve months in prison with probation. He was a member of the SVP party at the time.
Last autumn, the Department of the Interior and Municipal Affairs informed the municipalities of Valais of an increasing number of invalid ballots. It was said at the time that there had been a “significant increase” – the Kleberli rule was suspected.
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
