Electoral symbol

An electoral symbol is a standardised symbol allocated to a candidate.

Usage[]

Symbols are used by parties in their campaigning, and printed on ballot papers where a voter must make a mark to vote for the associated party. One of their purposes is to facilitate voting by illiterate people, who cannot read candidates' names on ballot papers.^[1]

This may include simple, identifiable symbols such as the head of an elephant (Cambodian Democratic Party), a hand (Indian National Congress), or a sailboat (Bangladesh Awami League). In Brazil, parties are instead allocated two-digit numbers, which can be easily recognized by illiterate voters.

In Israel parties are identified by a symbol composed of one, two, three or four Hebrew letters and an additional symbol composed of one, two, three or four Arabic symbols; this facilitates voters whose knowledge of Hebrew or Arabic (the two official languages) is limited.^[2]

Danish and Icelandic parties are identified by a "party letter" which is often the initial letter.

A ballot for the 1924 Italian general election
An Italian ballot for the 2020 Venetian regional election.
Poster at a polling station in Israel, with party symbols explained in Arabic and Russian.
Ballot of the 2015 Danish general election.

Symbols of the national parties of India[]

In India, political parties are identified on ballot papers by their name and a pictorial symbol. The pictorial symbol helps the large percent of illiterate voters to identify the party they want to vote for. The party symbols are allocated by the Indian election commission. A symbol assigned to party designated as a national party can not be used by other parties in the country. A Symbol assigned to a state party in one state can be allocated to different state party in another state.^[3]

Mural in Kerala showing the hand of the Indian National Congress

Communist Hammer and Sickle in Kerala

Symbol	Flag	Meaning	Party
		Indian lotus. The lotus symbolizes the party's link to Hinduism. It is also the national flower of India.	Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
		Right Hand with its palm-side facing front. The hand is symbolic of strength, energy and unity.	Indian National Congress (INC)
		The grass and the twin flowers. The simple flowers used in the symbol indicates that the AITC is in support of those sections of the society which are apparently insignificant and are oppressed.	All India Trinamool Congress (AITC)
		Elephant. The elephant represents the strength of the Bahujan community (OBC,SC,ST & Minorities).	Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
		Ears of corn and sickle. It depicts that the CPI is a party of the peasants, of farmers, or labourers, who work in the fields and earn a living and also depicts the conditions of the working class.	Communist Party of India (CPI)
		Hammer, sickle and a star. The symbol of the hammer and sickle is also replicated by other left-wing parties of India.	Communist Party of India (CPI-M)
		Analog clock that reads 10:10. It denotes that the party will keep fighting for its principles throughout, no matter how difficult the situation.	Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)
		Book. Only literacy and education can empower the weaker sections of society.	National People's Party (NPP)