Thirteen national referendums were held in Switzerland during 2016.

On 28 February 2016, referendums were held on four initiatives:^[1]

1. Popular initiative of 5 November 2012 "For the couple and the family - No to the penalty of marriage", proposed by the Christian Democrats. It would have prohibited discrimination in taxes for married couples (who pay more in certain circumstances) compared to other cohabiting couples, but it would also have added the definition of marriage being "the union of a man and a woman".^[2] Opposition to the initiative was mainly because it would make opening marriage to same-sex couples no longer possible under the constitution.^[3][4] (The referendum on this initiative was invalidated in a 10 April 2019 decision of the Federal Supreme Court, which ordered a re-vote.)^[5]
2. Popular initiative of 28 December 2012 "For the effective expulsion of foreign criminals", proposed by the Swiss People's Party which claimed it would provide full implementation of an initiative approved in a November 2010 referendum.^[6] Foreigners who commit a crime would be automatically expelled from the country, regardless of the severity of the crime.
3. Popular initiative of 24 March 2014 "No speculation on food", proposed by the Young Socialists.^[7]
4. Modification of 26 September 2014 of the federal law on road transit in the Alpine region (Reconstruction of the Gotthard road tunnel). It allowed building a second road tunnel in order for the current tunnel to be reconstructed.^[8] This government plan was challenged to a referendum by opposition groups who fear the four lanes would eventually be used, increasing traffic, and who considered it too costly.^[8]

The government recommended the rejection of all three popular initiatives, but recommended approval of the amendments to the federal law on road transit in the Alpine region. The vote results followed these recommendations, with higher voter turnout than usual.

Five propositions were on the ballot for the 5 June 2016 referendum:^[9]

1. A popular initiative for a basic income.^[10]
2. A popular initiative for fair transport financing. According to this initiative, revenue from fuel tax would have been used exclusively for road construction.^[11]
3. A popular initiative for public service. Launched by four news and consumer rights magazines, this initiative sought to improve public services by mandating that the government not set any profitmaking goals for public services, that any profits not fund the overall budget, and that public service directors would not earn more than the corresponding government minister.^[12]
4. A referendum on amendments to the medically assisted reproduction law.^[13]
5. A referendum on amendments to the federal asylum law.^[14]

All three popular initiatives were rejected, whilst the two legislative amendments were approved. The voters thus again followed the recommendations of the government.

Three referendums were held on 25 September 2016; a popular initiative for a green economy (launched by the Green Party of Switzerland), a popular initiative concerning the retirement system and a referendum on the federal law on intelligence.^[20] Both of the popular initiatives were rejected, whilst the federal intelligence law was approved.

The 27 November referendum had only one question, a federal popular initiative "for the programmed phase-out of nuclear energy" (against nuclear power plants).^[21] The initiative dated from 2012, about one year after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan. It was rejected by voters.^[22]