Bern Grand Council Elections 2024: Key Dates & Parties

The canton of Bern will hold comprehensive elections on March 29, 2026, for its 160-member Grand Council and seven-member Council of State, the canton’s executive branch. The elections also include a vote for the 24 members of the Bernese Jura Council, a regional parliament. The upcoming elections are particularly significant as they represent a complete renewal of both the Grand Council and the Council of State. Voters will receive their voting materials, including instructions, between March 9th and 14th, 2026, according to the Bernese State Chancellery. Instructions for voting in the Grand Council elections are included with the ballot paper, while guidance for the Council of State elections is found on the list of candidates. The city of Bern will elect 20 members to the Grand Council. A potential second round of voting for the Council of State is scheduled for May 3, 2026, should no candidate secure a majority in the first round. Several current members of the Council of State have announced they will not seek re-election, including Christoph Ammann and Christine Häsler. This creates openings in the governing body and intensifies the competition among candidates. The elections will be conducted using proportional representation for the Grand Council, with the Bernese Jura region receiving a fixed allocation of twelve seats regardless of population size. The remaining seats will be distributed among the other eight electoral districts based on their respective populations. Lists and sub-lists of candidates are permitted, but there is no formal threshold required for representation. New regulations will be in effect for the 2026 cantonal elections, requiring the disclosure of campaign budgets for the first time. The city of Bern has already published the membership list of its electoral committee for the upcoming elections. The State Chancellery has published decisions regarding the implementation of the elections for the Grand Council, the Council of State, and the Bernese Jura Council. Further information, including answers to frequently asked questions, is available on the State Chancellery’s website.