The cantons are divided into communes. All Swiss are first and foremost citizens of a commune. It is from this status that they automatically derive citizenship of a canton and of the country as a whole. Foreigners wishing to become Swiss citizens have to apply to the commune where they live.

There are now about 2,900 communes, varying greatly in area and population. The smallest, all in the Central Plateau, have an area of only 0.3 km2 (0.1 square mile), while the biggest, Bagnes in Canton Valais, is 282 km2 (109 square miles).

Some communes have more inhabitants than the small cantons, others just 100-200. More than half have populations of less than 1,000. Only about four percent of communes have more than 10,000 inhabitants - but about half the Swiss population live in them.

The communes, like the cantons, have their own elected administrative authorities. For some local issues they take autonomous decisions; in other cases they carry out decisions of the canton or the confederation. The areas for which they are responsible include security, education, health and transport affairs. They also register births, marriages and deaths, and collect federal, cantonal and local taxes. The details vary from canton to canton.

In 90% of communes, the citizens gather at least once a year in an assembly where each individual votes on important subjects. However, in larger communes such direct participation is not practical, and most decisions are left to an elected town council which meets regularly. Even in the biggest communes all members are ballotted on items like the budget. They cast their votes not in an assembly, but in booths or by post.