Rhino, bell, flower: ELD releases approved symbols for independent candidates in GE2025

If you're going down to the polls on May 3, you might see some symbols like a book, flower, rhino, or tree on your ballot paper.

These are some of the nine symbols approved by the Returning Officer for independent candidates to represent them on the ballot papers and during their electoral campaign.

Meanwhile, candidates belonging to a party will be represented by their party emblem.

The list of approved symbols for independent candidates was released in a government gazette on Apr. 15, and published on the Elections Department Singapore (ELD) website.

9 approved symbols

The following nine symbols have been approved by the Returning Officer:

• Bell
• Book
• Flower
• Magnifying glass
• Pen
• Rhino
• Scroll
• Flashlight
• Tree

May submit request to use their own symbol

According to a document on the ELD website, independent candidates may pick a symbol from the list of nine.

Alternatively, they may submit a request to the Returning Officer to use their own symbol.

The symbol design will have to be 400 by 400 pixels in size, in JPEG format, be no more than two megabytes in file size.

A short description in English of not more than five words must accompany the submitted design.

Under Section 16 of the Presidential Elections Act 1991, the Returning Officer may allot to candidates an approved symbol or a symbol of their own choosing.

However, a candidate must not be allotted any symbol of "racial or religious significance" or one that "denotes or implies an affiliation with any political party".

The allotment of candidate symbols will be done on Nomination Day, Apr. 23.

After nine days of campaigning, Singapore will then go to the polls on Saturday, May 3.

Other questions about GE2025, answered

Top image from ELD website/Canva