Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 23 October 2011. All of the Federal Assembly were to be elected: all 200 seats in the National Council and all 46 seats in the Council of States.

Voter turnout was 49.1%, compared to 48.9% in 2007.

National Council At the last election, in 2007, the Swiss People's Party (SVP) won the highest share of the vote ever recorded for a single party in Switzerland, with 29% of the vote. Soon after, a moderate faction split from the SVP, forming the Conservative Democratic Party (BDP).

In the 2011 election, the two neophyte parties BDP and Green Liberal Party (GLP) were successful, each receiving 5.4% of the popular vote. Both the GLP and the BDP have gained the required five seats to form their own parliamentary groups, suggesting a split of the centrist CVP/EVP/glp group.

All other major parties lost votes, the Swiss People's Party (SVP) for the first time since the 1987 elections. With 26.6% of the popular vote, the SVP is still the strongest party by a comfortable margin, but the 2011 elections marked the end of its rapid growth during the period of 1995–2007.

Of the small parties (below 5 seats), the Evangelical People's Party received 2.0% of the vote (+0.4%), retaining its two seats. The Ticino League received 0.8% of the vote (+0.2%) and gains one seat, now holding two.

The Christian Social Party lost one seat, but gained another to remain in the National Council, while the Federal Democratic Union of Switzerland and Swiss Party of Labour lost their single seats. Other minor groups which gathered more than 0.1% of the popular vote are: the Swiss Pirate Party (0.48%), the Swiss Democrats (0.20%), parteifrei.ch (0.19%) and Tierpartei Schweiz (0.15%).

By constituency ConstituencySeatsElectorateTurnoutPartyVotesSeatswonAargau15399,092193,601Swiss People's Party954,3606Social Democratic Party495,5403FDP.The Liberals315,4272Christian Democratic People's Party290,9641Green Party200,6541Conservative Democratic Party168,7311Green Liberal Party155,6841Evangelical People's Party88,4830Federal Democratic Union32,1800Pirate Party21,2740Social Liberal Movement13,0870Swiss Democrats10,4190Appenzell Ausserrhoden137,67817,900FDP.The Liberals8,9701Swiss People's Party5,3120Christian Democratic People's Party1,8400Green Party1,1140Others1780Appenzell Innerrhoden111,3584,232Christian Democratic People's Party3,1071Social Democratic Party8300Others1460Basel-Landschaft7186,80689,949Swiss People's Party165,9952Social Democratic Party150,5832Green Party83,7791FDP.The Liberals68,7101Christian Democratic People's Party50,7821Conservative Democratic Party39,1290Green Liberal Party30,8110Evangelical People's Party20,2480Swiss Democrats4,1620Basel-Stadt5114,06457,337Social Democratic Party80,6732Swiss People's Party45,7711FDP.The Liberals53,0041Green Party37,2280Christian Democratic People's Party18,0821Green Liberal Party16,1390Evangelical People's Party6,9200Conservative Democratic Party6,1800Pirate Party5,3140People's Action4,0480Federal Democratic Union1,4180parteifrei.ch1,3370Free State of Lower Kleinbasel9010Bern26713,938359,576Swiss People's Party2,663,8638Social Democratic Party1,776,1056Conservative Democratic Party1,367,4284Green Party865,1683FDP.The Liberals795,4082Green Liberal Party486,2542Evangelical People's Party383,5251Federal Democratic Union285,2350Christian Democratic People's Party167,2120Pirate Party67,5090Swiss Democrats51,5490Alternative Left42,4390Jimy Hofer plus37,1780Alpenparlament36,6350Party of Labour31,4870Swiss Nationalist Party27,7170Social Liberal Movement25,4200Liberal Socialists22,6970parteifrei.ch21,3780Les Rauraques17,9110Animal Party17,5050Fribourg7185,48587,582Social Democratic Party157,6793Swiss People's Party126,7591Christian Democratic People's Party119,7102FDP.The Liberals75,6361Christian Social Party32,3250Green Party29,2860Green Liberal Party20,9790Conservative Democratic Party11,1800Federal Democratic Union4,1830Evangelical People's Party4,1240Pirate Party3,6300parteifrei.ch2,5990Integral Politics1,5250Independent Citizens' Movement1,3600Geneva11240,126101,795Social Democratic Party208,5053FDP.The Liberals203,1872Swiss People's Party174,6042Green Party152,8002Citizens' Movement106,5921Christian Democratic People's Party106,4861Solidarity56,7110Green Liberal Party34,5280Party of Labour13,9320Evangelical People's Party11,0850Pirate Party9,8060The Combative Left4,9180Alliance BLEUE2,8190Glarus126,0788,915Conservative Democratic Party5,0661Social Democratic Party2,0160Swiss People's Party2280Green Party1160Others7830Grisons5135,14160,965Swiss People's Party72,2901Conservative Democratic Party60,3871Christian Democratic People's Party49,1171Social Democratic Party46,0751FDP.The Liberals35,1340Green Liberal Party24,3571Green Party6,3710Federal Democratic Union1,4990Jura250,62922,472Christian Democratic People's Party14,6021Social Democratic Party13,5401Swiss People's Party6,7920Green Party4,8160FDP.The Liberals4,1710Lucerne10260,101132,448Christian Democratic People's Party349,7293Swiss People's Party323,7832FDP.The Liberals237,0312Social Democratic Party147,9271Green Party106,7561Green Liberal Party78,9641Conservative Democratic Party27,5860Evangelical People's Party9,6190Animal Party6,5410parteifrei.ch1,9460Neuchâtel5109,92646,601FDP.The Liberals60,2472Social Democratic Party55,4511Swiss People's Party47,9671Green Party26,1371Party of Labour23,3290Christian Democratic People's Party7,8330Conservative Democratic Party3,3310Nidwalden130,36318,501Swiss People's Party8,0601FDP.The Liberals6,2730Green Party3,4870Obwalden125,22116,209Christian Democratic People's Party8,8961Swiss People's Party6,7390Schaffhausen249,78330,263Swiss People's Party23,3621Social Democratic Party20,2561FDP.The Liberals7,2060Christian Democratic People's Party3,0640Federal Democratic Union2,2180Alternative Left2,5030Schwyz498,19349,221Swiss People's Party72,0081FDP.The Liberals39,5571Christian Democratic People's Party38,9641Social Democratic Party28,0171Green Party3,7970Atom Free - Yes to Sun and Wood3,4660Evangelical People's Party2,0970Fresher Wind1,6650Solothurn7173,35689,651Swiss People's Party148,7102FDP.The Liberals112,5291Social Democratic Party111,8942Christian Democratic People's Party109,1522Green Party45,8330Green Liberal Party30,4150Conservative Democratic Party26,6750Evangelical People's Party8,9400parteifrei.ch8,1820Animal Party6,0090Federal Democratic Union2,9680St. Gallen12311,495145,657Swiss People's Party536,1504Christian Democratic People's Party345,6173Social Democratic Party283,8032FDP.The Liberals208,5871Green Party108,7081Green Liberal Party101,5981Conservative Democratic Party64,4500Evangelical People's Party31,0570Federal Democratic Union20,8100Ticino8212,103115,173FDP.The Liberals214,8142Christian Democratic People's Party172,5742Ticino League151,6472Social Democratic Party143,5171Swiss People's Party83,9191Green Party58,2780Communist Party10,5600Green Liberal Party9,0980Strengthening the Family2,4370Svizzera Italiana2,2270Thurgau6160,45374,975Swiss People's Party168,2393Christian Democratic People's Party62,5251Social Democratic Party52,5571FDP.The Liberals48,9360Green Party30,6091Green Liberal Party22,6840Conservative Democratic Party21,5700Federal Democratic Union15,1480Evangelical People's Party12,7470Uri126,11012,979FDP.The Liberals9,0051Social Democratic Party2,6030Others5170Vaud18410,956171,084Social Democratic Party742,7286Swiss People's Party677,1704FDP.The Liberals649,3724Green Party341,7112Green Liberal Party150,5851Christian Democratic People's Party136,6161Party of Labour115,9150Solidarity53,3290Federal Democratic Union32,3920Evangelical People's Party31,4240Pirate Party29,1250Conservative Democratic Party24,5470Citizens' Movement15,6100Swiss Democrats2,5970Swiss Nationalist Party2,3890Valais7205,917127,351Christian Democratic People's Party262,2633Swiss People's Party166,5081FDP.The Liberals159,0461Social Democratic Party129,7972Christian Social Party75,3220Green Party42,2190Alternative Left5,4970Conservative Democratic Party5,3410Zug371,84535,121Swiss People's Party33,1161Christian Democratic People's Party28,4131FDP.The Liberals22,4941Green Party17,9720Green Liberal Party7,9430Social Democratic Party6,1670Christian Social Party8680Zürich34877,817410,976Swiss People's Party4,135,95911Social Democratic Party2,671,3287FDP.The Liberals1,613,8514Green Liberal Party1,591,9244Green Party1,163,5223Conservative Democratic Party731,5012Christian Democratic People's Party697,2402Evangelical People's Party425,5201Federal Democratic Union300,5400Alternative Left141,7880Pirate Party119,4000parteifrei.ch60,4710Animal Party55,4660Swiss Democrats39,0120Party of Labour33,1000Fools Party8,5210Anti-PowerPoint Party4,7960Subitas1,9890Source: Bundesblatt, 22 November 2011

Council of States The elections of the Council of States are done by a plurality voting system. 27 out of 46 seats were determined on the first ballot on 23 October; the remaining 19 seats were decided in a second ballot held in November.

By canton Canton Seat 1 Party Seat 2 Party Felix Gutzwiller * FDP.The Liberals Verena Diener * Green Liberal Party Werner Luginbühl * Conservative Democratic Party Hans Stöckli Social Democratic Party Konrad Graber * Georges Theiler FDP.The Liberals Isidor Baumann Christian Democratic People's Party Markus Stadler * Green Liberal Party Alex Kuprecht * Swiss People's Party Peter Föhn Swiss People's Party Hans Hess * FDP.The Liberals N/A Paul Niederberger * Christian Democratic People's Party N/A This Jenny * Swiss People's Party Pankraz Freitag * FDP.The Liberals Joachim Eder FDP.The Liberals Peter Bieri * Christian Democratic People's Party Alain Berset * Social Democratic Party Urs Schwaller * Christian Democratic People's Party Roberto Zanetti * Social Democratic Party Pirmin Bischof Christian Democratic People's Party Anita Fetz * Social Democratic Party N/A Claude Janiak Social Democratic Party N/A Hannes Germann * Swiss People's Party Thomas Minder Independent Ivo Bischofberger * Christian Democratic People's Party N/A Hans Altherr * FDP.The Liberals N/A Karin Keller-Sutter FDP.The Liberals Paul Rechsteiner Social Democratic Party Martin Schmid FDP.The Liberals Stefan Engler Christian Democratic People's Party Pascale Bruderer Social Democratic Party Christine Egerszegi * FDP.The Liberals Roland Eberle Swiss People's Party Brigitte Häberli-Koller Christian Democratic People's Party Filippo Lombardi * Christian Democratic People's Party Fabio Abate FDP.The Liberals Géraldine Savary * Social Democratic Party Luc Recordon * Green Party Jean-René Fournier * Christian Democratic People's Party René Imoberdorf * Christian Democratic People's Party Didier Berberat * Social Democratic Party Raphaël Comte * FDP.The Liberals Liliane Maury Pasquier * Social Democratic Party Robert Cramer * Green Party Claude Hêche * Social Democratic Party Anne Seydoux-Christe * Christian Democratic People's Party * indicates a candidate that was re-elected. Source: Federal Chancellery

Pre-election polls