Municipalities in Neuchâtel that most often vote against the Swiss result
La Chaux-de-Fonds is the municipality in Neuchâtel that most often ends up on the opposite side of the national result: on 32.4% of federal ballot proposals (2015–2026) its own majority differed from Switzerland. Next are Neuchâtel (26.5%) and Rochefort (23.5%). Only municipalities of at least 1,000 residents are counted. Source: FSO.
Ranking
BFS · 2015–2026| Rank | Municipality | Divergence | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La Chaux-de-Fonds | 32.4% | 37'858 |
| 2 | Neuchâtel | 26.5% | 45'466 |
| 3 | Rochefort | 23.5% | 1'383 |
| 4 | Boudry | 22.5% | 6'341 |
| 5 | Le Locle | 22.5% | 10'912 |
| 6 | La Grande Béroche | 21.6% | 9'363 |
| 7 | La Sagne | 21.6% | 1'090 |
| 8 | Les Ponts-de-Martel | 20.6% | 1'234 |
| 9 | Lignières | 20.6% | 1'101 |
| 10 | Val-de-Ruz | 19.6% | 17'543 |
| 11 | Val-de-Travers | 19.6% | 10'710 |
| 12 | Cressier | 18.8% | 2'072 |
| 13 | Cortaillod | 18.6% | 4'769 |
| 14 | Cornaux | 17.6% | 1'684 |
| 15 | Le Landeron | 17.6% | 4'685 |
| 16 | Laténa | 17.6% | 11'752 |
| 17 | Milvignes | 16.7% | 9'367 |
How we measure this
BFSShare of federal ballot proposals (2015–2026) on which the municipality's own majority landed on the opposite side of the Swiss-wide result (yes vs no). Based on the FSO ballot results across every proposal in the period; only municipalities that took part in at least 50 proposals are ranked. Municipal ties (exactly 50%) count neither for nor against. Only municipalities of at least 1,000 residents appear: in very small municipalities a few votes can flip the majority, so genuine political distinctiveness could not be reliably separated from chance. The top ranks are nonetheless not an artefact — the municipalities involved diverge deeply (around 20 percentage points) and in a consistent direction, not narrowly and at random.
Frequently asked questions
- Which municipality in Neuchâtel votes against Switzerland most often?
- La Chaux-de-Fonds: on 32.4% of federal ballot proposals (2015–2026) its majority landed on the opposite side of the national result — the highest in Neuchâtel (municipalities of 1,000+ residents).
- Aren't these just small villages with random results?
- No. That is why only municipalities of at least 1,000 residents are counted, and the leaders diverge not narrowly but sharply — on average about 20 percentage points from the 50% line, and systematically in the same direction (they reject what Switzerland accepts). That is a real political pattern, not the statistical noise of a few ballots.