After the State Commission have taken their seats on the Stuhl and the regierende Landammann opens and welcomes the assembly,(s)he then presents the state bill. Then the discussions are opened. Then the elections and the subsequent oaths take place. Finally the votes on the programmed issues are taken. Grosser Rat The Grosser Rat or Grand Council is composed of 50 members, elected in the six districts of the canton. In five of the six districts, the election takes place once a year in the annual session of the district equivalent of the Landsgemeinde and therefore takes place in the open. In the other district, Oberegg District, which forms two small exclaves of the canton a few kilometres northeast of the rest, a separate ballot is held in May. The most important tasks of the Council are providing preliminary advice on the constitutional and legislative proposals to be placed before the Landsgemeinde. Also, the issuing of regulations to enforce the canton's legislation and supervision of all the cantonal authorities. The Council reviews and approves the annual financial statements, and sets the budget and the tax rates. Federal elections National Council (Nationalrat): Thomas Rechsteiner, 2019 Council of States (Ständerat): Daniel Fässler, 2019 Demographics The population of the canton (as of ) is . , the population included 1,510 foreigners, or about 9.76% of the total population. Owing to the split of Appenzell along religious lines, the population () is mostly Roman Catholic (81%), with a small Protestant minority (10%). Historical population The historical population is given in the following table: Economy Cattle breeding and dairy farming are the main agricultural activities: Appenzeller cheese is widely available throughout Switzerland. Somewhat before the early 2000s, the idyllic countryside of Appenzell Innerrhoden apparently became popular with nudists, and at the 2009 Landsgemeinde the canton's residents voted to prohibit naked hiking. Violators would be fined. However nudists who appealed against their fines to the federal court have been reimbursed by the local authorities, as nudism is not a crime under Swiss federal law which takes precedence. It is common for cars rented in Switzerland to be registered in Appenzell Innerrhoden, and thus having license plates starting with "AI", because of the reduced tax on cars in this canton. See also Landsgemeinde List of castles and fortresses in Switzerland Notes and references External links Appenzell (AI) Tourism Cantons of Switzerland