Strange women lying on their backs in ponds handing out swords ... that's no basis for a system of government, but using swords as voter ID…
https://www.neatorama.com/2026/04/27/Bri...wiss-Town/
—tg
https://www.neatorama.com/2026/04/27/Bri...wiss-Town/
Quote:The Landsgemeinde is a traditional Swiss political event that consists of non-anonymous voting on public issues in an open air assembly. Such an assembly recently took place in the Swiss town of Appenzell in a canton of the same name in the northeastern part of the country.
In this direct democracy, only those men willing to bear arms in defense of the community were allowed to vote. Although military service is no longer a requirement and women were granted the right to vote in 1991, some participants still carry swords to the Landsgemeinde.
—tg