Assemblée communale

Assemblée communale (assembly of the commune) or assemblée primaire (primary assembly) is the current name of the legislative power of certain communes of Switzerland. Every citizen is part of the assembly and may participate in it simply by showing their bulletin d'électeur (ballot). The assembly is called Assemblée communale in the cantons of Bern and Fribourg, Assemblée primaire in the Valais and Conseil général in the canton of Vaud.

This structure is primarily seen in small communes, but can also be found in much larger communes in German-speaking areas of Switzerland. There, the electorate selects the representatives who make up the legislative body. The name of that body varies from one canton to another:
 * town council: Canton of Jura
 * conseil général: general council (Switzerland) (Valais, Fribourg)
 * conseil communal (Vaud).

The Canton of Neuchâtel does not have communal assemblies. Its legislature, the Grand Council of Neuchâtel, has 115 seats distributed in proportion to the population of the six electoral constituencies:
 * Neuchâtel (35 seats)
 * Boudry (25)
 * Val-de-Travers (8)
 * Val-de-Ruz (10)
 * Le Locle (10)
 * La Chaux-de-Fonds (27).

The enabling legislation of the cantons does require communes to have a conseil général with legislative powers, of 15 to 41 members, based on the size of the commune.

Overview
Legend: {{Legend|#ffd9d9|according to the law of the commune}} {{Legend|#f7e0fc|mixture of cantonal and communal law (in general governed by the canton, implemented by the commune)}} {{Legend|#edd9ff|by default, determined by the law of the canton droit cantonal, modifiable by the commune (implementing an exception)}} {{Legend|#d9d9ff|strictly determined by the law of the canton (No derogation by the law of the commune)}}

Archaic: France
Immediately after the French Revolution and the overthrow of the monarchy and the Ancien Régime, the Legislative Assembly decreed on August 10, 1792, a convocation of electors to elect a national legislature. Another decree, on August 12, mandated assemblées primaires to select the electors, thereby in effect implementing universal male suffrage.