Election campaign stickers are small, bright and carry one message, and every piece of election print must be traceable to a printer and a publisher. On vehicles the Election Commission allows only a couple of small stickers unless the competent authority permits more. This guide comes from a print shop and stays neutral between parties and independents.
These are the Election Commission of India’s rules for Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. Municipal polls in Maharashtra follow the State Election Commission, which lists a consolidated Model Code order dated 4 November 2025 for the 2025 local elections. Ask your ward’s election office which set applies.
What stickers are used in election campaigns?
Political sticker printing falls into three kinds: small stickers for vehicle glass or bodywork, volunteer stickers for clothing and files, and door or gate stickers that need the owner’s written consent. Keep the artwork to a name or number, one line of text and strong contrast, with a margin for the printer and publisher line.
Which vehicle graphics are used on campaign vehicles?
The Commission’s instruction of 2 January 2024 limits what a vehicle may carry. A two-wheeler, three-wheeler, four-wheeler or e-rickshaw may show one small flag and 1 or 2 small stickers, with no banner, and a bigger flag or sticker needs the competent authority’s prior permission. Nothing may hamper any driver’s view, front or rear.
On a private car or bike the owner may fix flags and stickers voluntarily, within the Motor Vehicles Act and court orders. A commercial vehicle may show any flag or sticker only if it is validly used for campaigning, with a permit from the District Election Officer or Returning Officer displayed in original on the windscreen. A full-body wrap needs the competent authority’s permission before design.
What must election printing include by law, such as the printer name?
Section 127A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 bars anyone from printing or publishing an election pamphlet or poster without the names and addresses of the printer and the publisher on its face.
Before printing, the publisher gives the printer a signed declaration of identity, in duplicate, attested by two people who know the publisher personally. The printer then sends one copy of the declaration and of the document to the Chief Electoral Officer, or to the district magistrate outside the State capital. A breach can bring up to six months in jail, a fine up to ₹2,000, or both.
The section names pamphlets, hand-bills and placards or posters referring to an election, not stickers. The Commission’s order of 2 September 1994 asks printers for four copies within three days, with the number printed and the price charged. In April 2024 it reminded all States of the printer and publisher rule for hoardings. Ask the district election office whether a small sticker is covered, and leave room for the line anyway.
How do I plan sticker quantity for a ward?
Start from the campaign’s list of vehicles and buildings, since vehicle stickers are capped at one or two each. Add what volunteers will carry, plus a little for spoilage. Print that names a candidate counts towards that candidate’s election expenditure, party-only print does not, and the Commission’s letters say anyone else who pays for it needs the candidate’s written authority, citing Section 171H of the Indian Penal Code. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has replaced that Code since 1 July 2024, so ask for the current section.
How should campaign vinyl be removed after the election?
The Commission’s removal timelines run from the announcement: unauthorised material comes down within 24 hours on government property, 48 hours in public places and 72 hours on private property, subject to local law (letter of 15 March 2026). After the result, take down what you put up within the period your permission allows.
For vinyl, warm it gently with a hair dryer, peel slowly at a low angle and wipe off adhesive with a mild solvent tested on a small patch. Do not scrape painted metal or glass with a blade. Stickers left for months in the sun may crack and come away in pieces, so allow time.
What permissions apply to vehicle branding during elections?
The Model Code of Conduct is enforced from the announcement of the schedule and stays operational until the process of elections is completed, say the Commission’s Model Code FAQs. Its letter of 15 March 2026 repeats that the Code took effect with that day’s announcement.
| Where it goes | What the instructions say | Before you print |
|---|---|---|
| Private car or bike | Owner may fit small flags and stickers by choice, within the Motor Vehicles Act | Keep stickers clear of plates, lights and glass |
| Commercial vehicle | No flag or sticker unless used for campaigning, with the permit in original | Ask the campaign team for the permit |
| Big sticker or special campaign vehicle | Prior permission from the competent authority | Get it before design |
| Private wall or gate | Owner’s written permission, copy to the Returning Officer in 3 days; hard-to-remove display barred unless local law allows | Check the state defacement law |
| Government or public property | Unauthorised material comes down in 24 or 48 hours | Plan no stickers there |
An Election Commission FAQ on the Model Code (2009 edition) asks parties and candidates to try to avoid plastic in posters and banners; vinyl is plastic, so ask the election office whether a local instruction applies. Our banner permission guide covers the civic side; election banner printing, vehicle branding and vinyl sticker printing cover the print. We do not edit your message. Send sizes and the publisher details through the quote form, and the proof carries the printer and publisher line before printing starts.
