When does voting take place once an initiative is qualified for ballot?

FEDERAL CONSTITUTION OF THE SWISSCONFEDERATION

(Adopted1999; last amended 2013)

http://www.admin.ch/ch/e/rs/c101.html

Title 4: The People and the Cantons

Chapter 2: Initiative and Referendum

Art. 138 Popular initiative requestingthe complete revision of the Federal Constitution

(1) Any 100,000 persons eligible to vote maywithin 18 months of the official publication of their initiative propose acomplete revision of the Federal Constitution.

Art. 139 Popular initiative requestinga partial revision of the Federal Constitution in specific terms

(1) Any 100,000 persons eligible to vote maywithin 18 months of the official publication of their initiative request apartial revision of the Federal Constitution.

(2) A popular initiative for the partialrevision of the Federal Constitution may take the form of a general proposal orof a specific draft of the provisions proposed.

FEDERAL ACT ONPOLITICAL RIGHTS

(Adopted 1976; last amended 2009)

http://www.admin.ch/ch/e/rs/161_1/index.html

Title 5: The PopularInitiative

Art. 75a Vote

(1) The Federal Council shallsubmit the popular initiative to a popular vote within ten months of the final vote thereon in theFederal Assembly, but at the latest ten months after expiry of thestatutory period allowed for Parliament to consider the popular vote.

FEDERAL ACT ONPARLIAMENT

(Adopted 2002; last amended 2011)

http://www.admin.ch/ch/e/rs/c171_10.html

Title 5: Procedurein the Federal Assembly

Chapter 3:Procedure for Popular Initiatives

Section 1: PopularInitiative for the Complete Revision of the Federal Constitution

Art. 96. Where a popular initiative forthe complete revision of the Federal Constitution is declared successful, theFederal Assembly shall submit the initiative to the vote of the people.

Section 2: PopularInitiative for the Partial Revision of the Federal Constitution

b. Popular Initiative in the Form of a Draft Proposal

Art. 100 Voting recommendation

The FederalAssembly shall decide within30 months of the submission of a popular initiative in the form of adraft proposal whether it recommends that the people and the Cantons accept orreject the initiative.

c.Popular Initiative in the Form of a General Proposal

Art.103 Approval or rejection and popular vote

(1) The FederalAssembly shall decide withintwo years of submission of a popular initiative in the form of a generalproposal whether it approves or rejects the initiative.

(2) If the Federal Assemblyrejects the popular initiative, it shall submit the initiative to the vote ofthe people.

d.Extension and Expiry of Deadlines

Art.105 Extension of deadline

(1) If a Councilreaches a decision on a counter-proposal or on a bill closely related to apopular initiative, the Federal Assembly may extend the deadline for dealingwith the matter by one year.

(1bis) If a bill inthe form of a draft federal act that is closely related to a popular initiativeis subject to the procedure for the resolution of differences, the FederalAssembly may extend the deadline for dealing with the popular initiative by oneyear.

(2) If the Councilsare unable to agree on an extension of deadline, no extension shall be granted.

Art.106 Expiry of deadline

If the Councils areunable to reach a unanimous decision by the statutory deadline, the FederalCouncil shall order that a popular vote be held.

Proposalfor complete revision of the constitution: the Federal Council must organize areferendum within 10 months of the Federal Assembly’s vote on the initiative(Art. 75a, Federal Act on PoliticalRights; Art. 96, Federal Act onParliament).

Generalproposal for a partial revision of the constitution: the Federal Assembly hasto approve or reject the initiative within two years of its submission, or sixmonths after qualification, since there is a time limit of 18 months forcollecting signatures (Art. 139(1), FederalConstitution; Art. 103, Federal Acton Parliament). The government has another 10 months to submit theinitiative to voters (Art. 75a, FederalAct on Political Rights).

Specificproposal for a partial revision of the constitution: the Federal Assembly hasto adopt a recommendation on the initiative within 30 months of its submission,or one year after qualification, since there is a time limit of 18 months forcollecting signatures (Art. 139(1), FederalConstitution; Art. 100, Federal Acton Parliament). The government has another 10 months to submit theinitiative to voters (Art. 75a, FederalAct on Political Rights).

Forgeneral and draft proposals on a partial revision of the constitution,extensions of up to a year may be granted if both councils of the FederalAssembly agree (Art. 105 & 106, FederalAct on Parliament).