Postage increase may lower turnout in Swiss votes

Swiss Post will raise prices for B-Post bulk mail by 75% from 2027, increasing the cost of sending prepaid voting envelopes and potentially reducing voter turnout, SRF reports.

Some cantons and municipalities cover the postage on voting envelopes, so voters can return them without paying. The higher costs may lead some local authorities to stop covering postage, while others could abandon plans to do so.

Lucas Leemann, a political science professor at the University of Zurich who has studied the issue, said turnout is significantly higher in municipalities that provide prepaid envelopes. If fewer municipalities offer them, he said, turnout is likely to fall.

Leemann said convenience, rather than the cost of postage, is the main factor. Without a prepaid envelope, voters may need to visit a post office or buy a digital stamp through the postal service’s app. The added effort could mean some ballots are never sent.