National Council of Switzerland : Ask Biography

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The National Council of Switzerland ( , , , ) is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland. With 200 seats, it is the larger of the two houses.

The National Council is elected by Swiss adult citizens, as is most of the Swiss Council of States. There were 4.6 million citizens old enough to vote in 2003. Members, called 'National Councillors', serve for four-year terms.

Each of the 26 cantons is a constituency. The number of deputies of each constituency depends on the population of the canton. Zürich, which is the most-populous canton, has 34 seats; Uri, Glarus, Obwalden, Nidwalden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, and Appenzell Innerrhoden, each have only one seat. For cantons with more than one seat, proportional representation is used.