Kleine Abstimmungsfibel
A compact reference guide to voting procedures by Wolfgang Ernst, Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Zurich, published by Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung.
Democracy depends on voting – in grand institutions and everyday contexts alike: in the federal parliament and the cantonal assembly, on school boards, in corporate boards or local associations. The ability to vote properly is a core element of democratic legal culture. Voting is a legal act – and as such, it must be carried out with integrity: objectively, clearly, and fairly.
This is where the Kleine Abstimmungsfibel (literally: “Little Voting Primer”) comes in. Unmatched in its scope and clarity, the publication offers a systematic and practical overview of the many aspects involved in voting procedures – from verifying voting rights and submitting motions, to determining the required majority and choosing between open, secret or roll-call votes. It addresses how to deal with abstentions, how to establish majorities among competing motions, how to correctly record resolutions, and how to proceed with reconsiderations.
