What forms of checks are undertaken to verify signatures?

FEDERAL ACT ONPOLITICAL RIGHTS

(Adopted 1976; last amended 2009)

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

Title 4: TheReferendum

Chapter 2: TheOptional Referendum

Section 2: ThePopular Referendum

Art. 62 Certificateof eligibility to vote

(1) The signature lists must besent in good time prior to the expiry of the referendum period to the office that is responsibleunder cantonal law for the issuing of certificates of eligibility to vote.

(2) The office certifiesthat the signatories in the communes stated in the signature list are eligibleto vote on federal matters, and returns thesignature lists to their senders without delay.

Art. 66 Successfulrequest

(1) After expiry of the referendumperiod, the Federal Chancellery shall establish whether the referendum requestlists contain the required number of valid signatures. If less than half of thequorum required under the Constitution has been achieved, a notice shall bepublished in the Federal Gazette stating simply that the period allowed for thecollection of signatures has expired. If half or more of the required quorumhas been achieved, the Federal Chancellery shall issue a ruling confirmingwhether or not the request for a referendum has been successful.

Title 5: The PopularInitiative

Art. 70Further provisions

The provisions laid down for referendumsrelating to signatures (Art. 61), the certificate of eligibility to vote (Art. 62) and the refusalof a certificate of eligibility to vote (Art. 63) apply by analogy to popularinitiatives.

Art. 72 Successful request for a popularinitiative

(1) After expiry of the period allowed for the collection ofsignatures, the Federal Chancellery shall establish whether the popularinitiative has obtained the required number of valid signatures. If less thanhalf of the quorum required under the Constitution has been achieved, a noticeshall be published in the Federal Gazette stating simply that the periodallowed for the collection of signatures has expired. If half or more of therequired quorum has been achieved, the Federal Council shall issue a rulingconfirming whether or not the popular initiative has been successful.

ORDINANCE ON POLITICAL RIGHTS

(Adopted 1978; last amended 2012)

http://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified-compilation/19780105/index.html

4. Abschnitt: Referendum

Art. 21 Pr?fung des Zustandekommens

F?r die Feststellung des Zustandekommens pr?ftdie Bundeskanzlei namentlich, ob die eingereichten Unterschriftenlisten dengesetzlichen Anforderungen entsprechen und ob die Stimmrechtsbescheinigungordnungsgem?ss vorliegt.

5. Abschnitt: Volksinitiative

Art. 26 Erg?nzende Bestimmungen

Der 4. Abschnitt dieser Verordnung gilt f?r die Volksinitiative sinngem?ss.