Voters in the Canton of Valais will go to the polls on Sunday (June 10) to decide whether it should provide the necessary funding for the bid to proceed.

Referendums have ended several European bids in recent years.

Innsbruck in Austria became the latest city to suffer such a defeat in October, killing their bid for 2026.

A total of 60 per cent of residents in the Canton of Graubünden also voted against a former rival Swiss 2026 bid.

A referendum for a 2022 bid from Davos, also in Graubünden, was similarly unsuccessful.

But speaking to insidethegames here today on the sidelines of the official debrief of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics, Schnegg was upbeat about the upcoming vote.

"We are quite positive," the Sion 2026 Executive Committee member said.

"At the beginning, when we started the process, the atmosphere was not very much in favour of us - not on a national political level, but some media were quite sceptical.

"But now it has become more positive, so we are quite happy.

"Athletes in the last few weeks have really started to support the idea and to promote the candidature, so therefore we are cautiously optimistic.

"Typical Swiss I guess."

Last month, Christophe Dubi, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive director for the Olympic Games, insisted the IOC has changed as he sought to reassure Sion voters before the referendum.

A poll released in May found that 46 per cent of voters in the region would vote "yes" in support of the bid in comparison with 47 per cent who would vote "no" and seven per cent who are undecided.

A latest poll conducted by Sotomo for RTS Swiss Public Television indicated that 51 per cent would not approve the funding of CHF100 million (£76 million/$101 million/€87 million) to organise the event, and a further seven per cent would probably not approve.

In comparison, 36 per cent of those asked said they would vote "yes", while a further six per cent said they would probably vote in favour.

Sixty per cent of those in opposition blamed high costs, while only 32 per cent of women questioned said they would vote "yes".

Speaking to insidethegames here today about the referendum, Dubi said: "What I think we will see on Sunday is the result of a vote in which the question is not do you wish to organise the Games or not, it's a question about the Canton of Valais investing CHF100 million in different infrastructures, some of which would be used for the Games, which is a different question.

"When it comes to any referendum or public vote or plebiscite, we have to welcome any public consultation.

"That's very important to assist the bids in order to have all the information, documentation, reference from the past and all the elements for their context to make it a more successful campaign.

"And this is something we are helping the interested cities to do, to have as much meaningful information as possible for the development of their plans."

RTS Swiss Public Television recently reported that Valais may still press ahead with a bid if the "no" vote prevails in the referendum.

It cited unnamed sources, who said several other towns or resorts have privately expressed an interest in taking over the leading role in the bid.

This includes Crans-Montana, Brig or Zermatt, according to reports.

A member of Sion 2026 told insidethegames that this was possible in theory but added that no discussions regarding the possibility had taken place.

It also remains plausible that the bid could still be called "Sion 2026" even without the input of the main city in the Canton's capital city.

Philippe Varone, President of the city of Sion, reportedly said the City Council would be consulted to decide whether to lend the name of the city to the Olympic effort.

This has effectively been made possible by an agreement for the Canton of Valais to jointly sign the Host City Contract with the city and Swiss Olympic should Sion be chosen to host the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

It forms part of a concerted campaign to alleviate the costs of staging the event.

Calgary in Canada is also likely to face a referendum late this year or early in 2019, while Stockholm in Sweden and an Italian bid from Milan, Turin and Cortina d'Ampezzo are still not guaranteed political support.

That leaves Erzurum in Turkey, which is currently considered a rank outsider, as well as Graz in Austria, the country where the referendum in Innsbruck has already failed, and Sapporo in Japan. 

The IOC is due to approve official candidates at its Session in Buenos Aires in October before a host is chosen in September 2019.