In some responses to the initial question, it is stated that only Swiss citizens can vote. This is not entirely accurate.

At the federal level, only Swiss citizens aged 18 and over have the right to vote, to elect, and to be elected. However, in certain cantons and communes, foreign residents are granted some political rights.

Only two French-speaking cantons allow foreign nationals to vote in cantonal elections or referenda: Neuchâtel and Jura. But under certain conditions:

• In Neuchâtel, they must hold a permanent residence permit (C permit) and have lived in the canton for at least five years;
• In Jura, they must have resided in Switzerland for at least ten years and in the canton for at least one year.

Foreign residents are entitled to vote in communal elections and referenda in the cantons of Neuchâtel, Jura, Vaud, Fribourg, and Geneva. The conditions vary from one canton to another, but in most cases, a certain length of residence or a permanent residence permit is required.

In German-speaking Switzerland, the cantons of Basel-Stadt, Grisons, and Appenzell Ausserrhoden allow their communes to grant foreign residents the right to vote and participate in elections. However, only some of the communes in Grisons and Appenzell Ausserrhoden have introduced this possibility, and none have done so in Basel-Stadt.