Swiss dopers - how do the "Landsgemeinden" work, logistically?

Factual Questions
1

I’m fascinated by the political system of Switzerland with its perfect combination of neutrality, political stability, and direct democracy, and came across the Landsgemeinden, the annual popular assemblies of all voters which still make important political decisions. In Appenzell Innerrhoden and Glarus, they do so at the cantonal level, while similar assemblies exist, on the municipal level, in other cantons as well.

How are these assemblies held? I understand that these cantons are not large, but still - Glarus has a population of about 40,000, of which about two thirds are eligible to vote (estimate mine). Deduct those who don’t attend, and Iyou still have a crowd of ~20,000 people gathering on a town square, with every one of them having the right to speak and bring in motions. How do they keep out filibusters or simply busybodies who delay the procedure with pointless speaches and motions without the slightest chance of approval?

Are there ID card checks at the entrance to the assembly square to make sure only eligible voters attend? Is there public transportation to carry voters to the assembly? And, finally, who’s running the country in the meantime, while most of the adult population is gathered to debate the latest fiscal bill?

I’m intrigued by this system, which surely embodies the ideal of democracy, but I can’t imagine how it can be made sure to work.

2

Bump. Noone?

3

No personal knowledge. This site seems to have some more specific information. Most relevant to your questions seems to be:

So essentially, you don’t just get up on stage and start talking. You have to have passed a basic muster test and you’re not allowed to say anything more than what you have written.

4

[QUOTE=Schnitte]
I’m fascinated by the political system of Switzerland with its perfect combination of neutrality, political stability, and direct democracy, and came across the Landsgemeinden, the annual popular assemblies of all voters which still make important political decisions. In Appenzell Innerrhoden and Glarus, they do so at the cantonal level, while similar assemblies exist, on the municipal level, in other cantons as well.

How are these assemblies held? I understand that these cantons are not large, but still - Glarus has a population of about 40,000, of which about two thirds are eligible to vote (estimate mine). Deduct those who don’t attend, and Iyou still have a crowd of ~20,000 people gathering on a town square, with every one of them having the right to speak and bring in motions. How do they keep out filibusters or simply busybodies who delay the procedure with pointless speaches and motions without the slightest chance of approval?

Are there ID card checks at the entrance to the assembly square to make sure only eligible voters attend? Is there public transportation to carry voters to the assembly? And, finally, who’s running the country in the meantime, while most of the adult population is gathered to debate the latest fiscal bill?

I’m intrigued by this system, which surely embodies the ideal of democracy, but I can’t imagine how it can be made sure to work.
[/QUOTE]

If you are eligible to vote at the Landsgemeinde, you get information material about the topics to be decided, and about the budget that has to be approved. In addition, a card that testifies to your eligibility. You vote by holding up this card.

In the past, when women were not yet permitted to participate, the military sidearm was used as proof of eligibility in the Appenzell Landsgemeinde.

There is hardly any inhabited place in Switzerland that cannot be reached by public transport. Often the post service also runs busses to the more remote areas.
Appenzell Landsgemeinde , Glarus Landsgemeinde (in German)
Pictures

Here you find the topics of the 2008 Glarus Landsgemeinde (check out the recording of the livecam)

5

[QUOTE=Anaglyph]
…In the past, when women were not yet permitted to participate, the military sidearm was used as proof of eligibility in the Appenzell Landsgemeinde…
[/QUOTE]

Didn’t Appenzell-Innerrhoden hold off on female suffrage until 1990 even though women could vote in the rest of the country since 1971?

6

[QUOTE=alphaboi867]
Didn’t Appenzell-Innerrhoden hold off on female suffrage until 1990 even though women could vote in the rest of the country since 1971?
[/QUOTE]

The Landsgemeinde Appenzell Ausserroden voted 1989 with a very slender majority to allow women to vote on the Landsgemeinde.

7

[QUOTE=Anaglyph]
If you are eligible to vote at the Landsgemeinde, you get information material about the topics to be decided, and about the budget that has to be approved. In addition, a card that testifies to your eligibility. You vote by holding up this card.
[/QUOTE]

It seems to me that this does not keep away “gate-crashers” effectively. If the vote is performed by holding up a card, it would not be a great deal for me (if I wanted to do so) to get a card of similar size and color as the voting card and hold it up instead. From a distance, the counters would not be able to recognize that the thing in my hand was not a genuine voting card.

Besides (and this is really cool), this page from the web site of the cantonal administration of AI mentions that men may use a rapier (i.e., a type of sword) instead of the voting card!

[QUOTE=Anaglyph]
The Landsgemeinde Appenzell Ausserroden voted 1989 with a very slender majority to allow women to vote on the Landsgemeinde.
[/QUOTE]

According to Wiki (the German version is a bit more comprehensive on this), Appenzell Innerrhoden (the other “half canton” of the two Appenzells) was the last canton to introduce female suffrage on the cantonal level, but not voluntarily - there was a ruling from the Federal Tribunal that heprevious custom unconstitutional.