700 Years of Tradition: How Switzerland Still Votes by Raising Hands

Participants of the Landsgemeinde vote by raising their hands in Appenzell Innerrhoden

Author: Nicklaarakkers / Wikimedia Commons

License: CC BY-SA 3.0

This weekend, a vote took place in the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden that looks unusual even by European standards. Thousands of people gathered in the town square and made decisions simply by raising their hands. No ballots, no booths, no secret voting.

This is the Landsgemeinde - an open-air citizens’ assembly held once a year and one of the oldest forms of direct democracy still in use in Switzerland.

At these gatherings, citizens not only vote on laws and local initiatives, but also elect public officials. Everything happens openly and on the spot - decisions are made in full view of everyone present. For many Ukrainians, this feels unfamiliar: we are used to secret ballots, formal procedures, and precise vote counting. Here, the principle is different - maximum transparency and direct participation.

At first glance, it may look like a historical reenactment. In reality, it is part of a functioning modern political system. To understand how it works - and why it still exists - it helps to look at the tradition behind it.

Landsgemeinde dates back to the Middle Ages and has a history spanning more than 600–700 years. It emerged as a way for free citizens to gather in person and decide on shared matters. Over time, this practice disappeared in most cantons, but it has been preserved in Appenzell Innerrhoden and Glarus to this day.

The event itself feels less like a formal vote and more like a live civic scene. People gather in the square, listen to speeches, and can take the floor themselves. Anyone present has the right to speak publicly and try to persuade others to support or reject a proposal. At times, these spontaneous speeches can influence the outcome.

In its modern form, Landsgemeinde differs significantly from what we usually think of as elections. Votes are not counted in the traditional sense. Instead, decisions are determined visually - by the number of raised hands - with the final call made by the presiding official. This means the result is not always mathematically precise and can occasionally lead to debate.

Another defining feature is the complete absence of secret voting. Every decision is made openly, visible to everyone around. In this setting, not only individual choice matters, but also the broader context - the atmosphere, the mood of the crowd, and the reactions of others nearby.

Despite the scale of the event, not all eligible voters take part. In practice, participation is usually around one fifth of the electorate. In other words, decisions are made not by the entire population, but by its most active members - those who choose to show up and vote in person.

Voting at the Landsgemeinde in Appenzell, 1966

Author: P. Gugelmann / ETH-Bibliothek Zurich / Wikimedia Commons

License: CC BY-SA 4.0

The history of women’s participation is also telling. In Switzerland, women gained the right to vote at the federal level in 1971, but in Appenzell Innerrhoden this only happened in 1991 - following a ruling by the Federal Supreme Court. This example is often cited to illustrate how strong local traditions can be.

At the same time, Landsgemeinde is not only about political decisions, but also about symbols and rituals. Historically, men attended these assemblies carrying weapons, including swords, which signified their right to vote. Today this is no longer required, but some participants still bring traditional swords as a cultural symbol and a sign of civic identity.

The event also has a broader cultural dimension. Alongside local residents, visitors from other regions and tourists often come to watch one of the oldest forms of democracy in Europe. Yet for locals, this is not a performance - it is a real political process in which they actively participate.

Interestingly, even today Landsgemeinde can lead to quite progressive decisions. For example, in the canton of Glarus, a 2007 assembly voted to lower the voting age to 16 - still a unique case in Switzerland.

In larger cantons, this form of democracy is no longer feasible due to scale. But in smaller regions, it continues to exist as a living tradition - and at the same time, as a reminder that even in modern Europe, democracy can take very different forms.

Landsgemeinde may look like something from the past, but it remains a system that still works and shapes decisions today. And perhaps that is why it has survived - not simply as a tradition, but as a form of participation where every vote is quite literally visible.

Sources:

• Official website of the Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden
• Swissinfo - The purest democracy? Visiting one of Switzerland’s historic open-air assemblies
• SRF - Ein neuer Landammann, ein historischer Eid und Velowege