A zero party election occurs when

Analyze the question: "Zero party" refers to a political system or election with no political parties. In a zero party election, candidates contest as individuals, not as party nominees.

Concept: A zero-party system (a "no-party" system) is one in which political parties are absent or banned. Contestants run on their personal merit, without party platforms, and campaigns are not organised by parties. Uganda's "movement" system under Museveni is a well-known example, where candidates ran on individual merit.

Evaluating the options:

• A. All candidates run independently. This matches the idea. With no parties, every candidate stands as an individual.
• B. Candidates bribe their way through. This describes electoral malpractice, not a type of election system.
• C. Only party candidates contest. This describes the opposite, a party-based election.
• D. There are no party symbols. This is a consequence of having no parties, but it is not the definition. Independent candidates can still have personal symbols or logos on ballots in some systems, and the term "zero party" is about the absence of party contestation, not just symbols.
• E. Voters have no parties. This is vague and does not describe the contest. Voters can have party preferences or none, which is not what defines the system.

Answer: The best definition is that candidates contest independently, with no party sponsorship.

Tip: When you see "zero party" or "no-party," think "independent candidates." Link the keyword "zero" to "no parties, so individuals contest on their own." For a question like this, choose the option that describes how people contest, not just a side effect such as missing symbols.