One can definitely make referendums more complex by mixing in unrelated stuff, unnecessary restrictions, and complexities. But that's not the case with Swiss referendums. Quite the contrary, they seem to be designed for simplicity:

First: There is no quorum. Even if the turnout is low, the referendum is valid. If three people cast their votes in a national ballot and two of them vote yes, the proposal is accepted. It is then written into the constitution, so even the parliament cannot overrule it. No quorum means no strategic voting or, more precisely, no strategic withholding of votes to sabotage the referendum by making it invalid due to not meeting the quorum, as often happens elsewhere.

Second: The referendum process takes many years, often five or more, so it can't be used for short-term, tribal politics, like calling for premature elections. By the time the referendum reaches voters, five or [...]

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First published:
August 25th, 2024

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/CixJcx8yrjBQhBiks/referendum-mechanics-in-a-marketplace-of-ideas

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“Referendum Mechanics in a Marketplace of Ideas ” by Martin Sustrik

LessWrong (30+ Karma)