How many times a year do voters normally vote on federal matters?
Wie oft pro Jahr stimmt das Stimmvolk normalerweise in Bundesangelegenheiten ab?
Correct answer: D
- A 55
- B 33
- C 22
- D 44
Why
Four Sundays per year are reserved for federal votes. That is the normal number.
Exam answer: d (4). The learning brochures of the city and canton of Zurich (2024) say «etwa 4 oder 5 Mal im Jahr», probably including cantonal and municipal votes. For the Confederation, the Federal Chancellery reserves four dates per year (bk.admin.ch, 2025).
Common mistakes
- B: 3
- Sometimes a date is cancelled because there is no proposal to vote on. But four are planned.
- A: 5
- Not five but four Sundays per year are reserved for federal votes.
Topic
At federal level there are normally four voting dates per year. These dates are reserved many years in advance. If you add the canton and the municipality, people vote about four to five times a year. On one date people often vote on several proposals at the same time. Cantons and municipalities usually put their own votes on the same days.
Having a say: rights and obligations
Elections and popular votes
Sources
Last checked: September 2026
Question 46 of the official question list of the Canton of Zurich (Gemeindeamt, May 2025). Translation and explanation: Swiss Passport.