‍Almost two months ago, Swiss citizens received envelopes with the word "ballots" on it – a regular scene happening in the world's second oldest neutral country, Switzerland.

With the country's second referendum this year coming on Sunday, about 5.3 million Swiss citizens will fulfill their political rights to have a say in the country's legislation.

Vote for what on Sunday?

Swiss voters will have a chance to make their voices heard on two issues – gun law and tax/pension reform.

A similar corporate tax overhaul was rejected by Swiss voters two years ago, while the 2019 version seems to have better chances of winning approval.

As for the gun law amendment, Switzerland has one of the highest rates of private gun ownership in Europe, with nearly 48 percent of households owning a gun.

Pollsters interviewed 5,817 Swiss citizens from all language regions across the country for the second of two nationwide surveys.

Review of famous 'good/interesting' proposals vetoed

Besides for voting on gun and tax laws, Swiss citizens have also decided on many other special proposals, some of which became well known around the world. The video below collects some of such proposals which were vetoed though seemed too "good" to be true at first glance.

It is uncommon to see similar "good/interesting" proposals in other countries as in Switzerland, and the country's unique political system can be the reason for this phenomenon.

What is Switzerland's referendum election?

More evident in Switzerland than in any other country, direct democracy provides Swiss citizens a chance to play a direct part in political decision-making.

A referendum election is a critical tool of such democracy. Here is a brief explanation.

Along with the obvious advantages of the mechanism, some questionable issues have always existed, including the lack of details provided by the government, the lack of transparency in the voting process, the lack of preventive judicial control mechanisms, high costs and blindness of ordinary people, etc.

In fact, most of the motions were not approved in the end.

From 1891 to November 24, 2013, a total of 424 motions were initiated, of which 187 entered the voting process, and only 20 motions won a double majority of voters and cantons. 

A well-designed system?

Recently, Switzerland's highest court has overturned a nationwide referendum for the first time in the country's history after it was found voters were not given sufficient information. The poll was held in February 2016 asking voters whether married couples and co-habiting partners should pay the same tax.

Moreover, a recent study, which was carried out by the Center for Studies on Democracy in Aarau, showed that around six percent of Swiss voters approve a people's initiative that they consider too radical, believing that the government will soften it when it is implemented.

The study further suggested that the result of a vote is therefore never the exact reproduction of the "true will of the people."

However, as a lifestyle and DNA in Switzerland, people always say, "we love voting!"

Video editors: Lan Haowei and Zhao Yuxiang

Copy editor: Katrin Buchenbacher