An electrical membrane switch that is actuated by applying a force against a layer of a variable resistance material that overlies and is in direct contact with switch poles that are applied to and supported by a substrate. A gap is provided between the switch poles, and the layer extends across the gap. The substrate can be a circuit board with electrical traces formed thereon to convey electrical current to the switch poles. As a sufficient force is applied to the surface of the layer of the variable resistance material, its resistance changes from a relatively high value, in which the switch is in a non-conducting state, to a relatively low value, in which the switch is in a conductive state. A protective sheet can optionally be included over the variable resistance layer and can include graphics/text to indicate the position of each switch in an array and its function.