Cantonal legislatures of Switzerland

The cantonal legislatures of Switzerland are the elected legislative bodies of the 26 Swiss cantons. Each canton has its own legislature, which operates alongside a cantonal executive and functions independently from the federal Federal Assembly. Legislatures are generally elected for four-year terms, except in the cantons of Fribourg, Vaud, Geneva, and Jura, where terms last five years.

The size and structure of cantonal legislatures vary. The largest is in the canton of Zürich with 180 members, while the smallest, in Appenzell Innerrhoden, has 49 members. Appenzell Innerrhoden is also the only canton with a formally non-partisan legislature; all others are organized along party political lines.

Party strength varies by canton. As of the most recent elections, the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) holds the largest number of seats in nine legislatures, followed by The Centre (DM/LC) in eight, FDP.The Liberals (FDP/PLR) in seven, and the Social Democratic Party (SP/PS) in one.

Two cantons, Appenzell Innerrhoden and Glarus, use the traditional Landsgemeinde system of direct democracy, where eligible citizens vote by open assembly once a year. Although these assemblies are formally the highest legislative authorities, both cantons also maintain permanent representative legislatures, which are listed in this article.

The legislatures of the cantons have various names in different cantons and in the four official languages of Switzerland:

• Grand Council (German: Grosser Rat, French: Grand Conseil, Italian: Gran Consiglio, Romansh: Cussegl grond ) is the name in the cantons of Aargau, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneva, Grisons, Neuchâtel, Ticino, Thurgau, Vaud and Valais. In German-speaking Switzerland, the members of the Grand Council are called Grand Councilor (Grossrat (m) or Grossrätin ()), except for Thurgau where they are called Cantonal Councilor (Kantonsrat/rätin). In French-speaking Switzerland, the title is Député (Member of Parliament).
• Cantonal Council (German: Kantonsrat) in the cantons of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Lucerne, Obwalden, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, St. Gallen, Zug and Zürich. The term arose in the 19th century; the older names were Grand Council: renamed in Solothurn 1840, in Zurich 1869, in Zug 1873, in Appenzell Ausserrhoden 1876, in Schaffhausen 2002, in St. Gallen 2003, in Lucerne 2008) and District Administrator (renaming in Schwyz 1833, in Obwalden 1867 ).
• State Council (German: Landrat) in the cantons of Basel-Landschaft, Glarus, Nidwalden and Uri.
• Parliament (French: Parlement ) in the canton of Jura (since the canton was founded).

• List of cantonal executives of Switzerland

• "Kantonsparlamente". Federal Statistical Office (in German). Retrieved 3 November 2024.