Re: Swiss elections and referenda - New Federal Councilor(s) election 7 December

[NewYorkExpress]

https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/divided-swiss-vote-same-sex-marriage-after-fraught-campaign-2021-09-22/

Swiss voters decide on Sunday whether to allow same-sex couples to wed and adopt children after a highly charged campaign pitted gay rights activists against conservative opponents in one of the last Western European countries to still ban gay marriage.

The federal government and parliament approved opening civil marriage to same-sex couples, but opponents forced a referendum on the issue under Switzerland's system of direct democracy.

During the campaign, opponents of the reform used images of crying babies, while supporters waved "Yes, I do" rainbow flags at the Zurich and Geneva pride parades.

The share of voters set to approve same-sex marriage fell to 63% in the latest poll by gfs.bern for broadcaster SRG, while the share of those against rose to 35%, versus 69% and 29% a month earlier.

....

In Switzerland, same-sex couples received the right to enter civil partnerships in 2007 and the right to adopt children parented by their partner in 2018.

Under the amended law, same-sex couples would be allowed to adopt children unrelated to them.

Married lesbian couples would also be allowed to have children through sperm donation, currently legal only for married heterosexual couples. Under the law, both women would be recognised as the child's official parents from birth.

Any experts on Swiss politics want to share their thoughts on this referendum?

[NewYorkExpress]

Any experts on Swiss politics want to share their thoughts on this referendum?

Well, there is already a thread on that....

https://talkelections.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=310834.0

-- and yes - it will almoust certainly pass with >60% yes and <40% no..

First, I wasn't aware of that thread, and second, I'd have treated as a general megathread, with this thread being a thread for this specific referendum.

[NewYorkExpress]

Swiss voters voted to approve making everyone an organ donor by default in a referendum yesterday.

Switzerland has voted to boost the availability of transplant organs by making everyone a potential donor after death unless they have expressly objected.

The legal change was approved by 60% of voters in a referendum. Under the existing laws, transplants are only possible if the deceased person consented while alive.

Their wishes are often unknown, and in such cases the decision is left up to relatives who in most cases opt against organ donation.

....

In a bid to reduce the backlog, the government and parliament wanted to change the law to a “presumed consent” model, something already adopted in a number of other European countries.

According to that system, people who do not wish to become an organ donor after death must explicitly say so.

Those who have not made their wishes clear would be assumed to be in favour. However, relatives would still be able to refuse if they know or suspect that the person concerned would have chosen not to donate an organ. In cases where no relatives can be contacted, no organs may be removed.

The rules would only apply to people aged 16 and over.

The medical conditions for donation remain the same: only people who die in a hospital intensive care unit can donate their organs, and two doctors must confirm the death.