Citizen-Initiated Referendums, Citizens’ Veto and VoteWrap
Citizen-initiated referendums are designed to give voters greater control over the political agenda. Rather than waiting for a government or parliament to call a vote, citizens can collect enough signatures to place a proposal before the electorate.
A related mechanism is sometimes called a citizens’ veto, optional referendum or citizen-demand referendum. Instead of proposing a new law, citizens collect signatures to require an existing parliamentary decision to be put to a public vote before it takes effect.
Switzerland provides well-known examples. At the federal level, citizens can propose an amendment to the Swiss Constitution through a popular initiative. They can also challenge newly enacted federal legislation by collecting 50,000 valid signatures within 100 days, forcing an optional referendum.
Australia currently uses national referendums primarily for proposed constitutional amendments submitted through Parliament. A national plebiscite may be held on another public question, but its result does not itself amend the Constitution.
What these mechanisms contribute
Citizen-initiated referendums can give voters powers that ordinary representative elections do not provide. They can:
- allow an issue to reach a public vote despite resistance from political parties;
- provide a lawful path for challenging unpopular legislation;
- create pressure for governments to address neglected concerns;
- give the final decision directly to voters; and
- provide a public check on parliamentary power.
VoteWrap strongly aligns with the principle behind these mechanisms: sovereignty should not disappear into Parliament for several years after an election.
The remaining limitations
A referendum remains an occasional event. It does not, by itself, create an ongoing relationship between voters and representatives.
Large numbers of citizens may still lack the time, confidence, information or specialist knowledge needed to assess every proposal. Those who are highly motivated or well funded can dominate signature campaigns, advertising and public debate. Complex legislation may also be reduced to a single yes-or-no choice, even where voters support some provisions and oppose others.
There is another challenge before any vote occurs: somebody must draft the proposal, select the wording, assemble evidence, organise signatures and secure public attention. A referendum mechanism gives people a decision point, but it does not automatically create the democratic infrastructure needed to develop, test and improve the proposal.
A citizens’ veto can stop a law, but stopping legislation does not necessarily reveal what voters would prefer instead.
What VoteWrap adds
VoteWrap is intended to provide a continuous layer of democratic participation around Parliament and legislation.
A voter could:
- vote personally on a bill;
- select a trusted Bill Representative;
- use a standing General Representative;
- participate through a local community;
- examine the reasons and evidence supporting different positions;
- change position as discussion develops; and
- see how views aggregate from the local community to the electorate and wider jurisdiction.
The initial Active Bills implementation will allow verified voters and representatives to vote on a whole bill. The full VoteWrap model will progressively map the bill into its component issues, allowing people to explore where agreement and disagreement actually occur.
This does not require every voter to become a full-time legislator. People who wish to participate directly may do so. Others may rely on trusted representatives while retaining the ability to review or reclaim their own vote.
How the approaches could work together
VoteWrap does not need to replace citizen-initiated referendums or citizens’ vetoes. It could provide much of the missing infrastructure around them.
Before a referendum, VoteWrap could help citizens:
- identify whether verified support exists across communities and electorates;
- deliberate on the proposal before wording is finalised;
- test alternative versions;
- expose unintended consequences;
- record arguments and evidence;
- distinguish opposition to one provision from opposition to the whole proposal; and
- determine whether a referendum campaign has broad public foundations or only a highly organised minority.
After a referendum, VoteWrap could continue measuring support for implementation and related legislation.
Citizen-initiated referendums provide a powerful constitutional or legislative lever. VoteWrap seeks to provide the ongoing democratic network needed to decide when to pull that lever, what it should achieve and how the resulting public decision should be implemented.
Read the detailed examination: VoteWrap & Direct Democracy Model for Australia
Sources and further reading
- Swiss Confederation: Referendums and popular initiatives
- Swiss Federal Chancellery: Optional referendum
- Parliamentary Education Office: Referendums and plebiscites
- International IDEA: Direct Democracy — The International IDEA Handbook