Elections for Student Association senators and class presidents began at 7:30 a.m. today in Perry Cafeteria and Mitchell Memorial Library.
There are 75 students running for 46 Senate seats, which are divided up according to colleges and residence.
Elections commissioner Stuart Tirey wants to see an increase in turnout of about 300 students this year, he said. In 2005, about 1,400 students voted in the election.
He hopes it will increase because the people who are used to going to The Union will be eating at the cafeteria, he said.
Most years, The Union is a polling place, but the renovations make that impossible this year.
While Tirey tries to increase elections turnout, SA Vice President Lee Weiskopf hopes to increase the visibility of the SA Senate, he said.
The Senate appropriates SA money to student groups, approves the appointments of executive officers and approves amendments to the SA Constitution, said Weiskopf, who presides over the Senate.
The group also gets involved in university policy, such as when legislation was passed a few years ago trying to change the way student basketball tickets are distributed, he said.
Weiskopf said his goal for the Senate is to make sure students know about it.
ܬI feel like the last couple of years itܬs just kind of been here and a few people know about it,ܬ he said.
Part of his plan is to post minutes from the meetings and legislation that is passed on the SA Web site, www.msustudentassociation.com.
This year is the first that class presidents for the freshman, sophomore and junior classes will be elected. The class presidents will form a class council and will work to raise money for a class gift to be given to the university their senior years.
Senior class president Elisha Blades, who was elected last spring, said the class council is a great opportunity for students to get involved in their classes but will require hard work since it is new to the university.
ܬItܬs going to be an opportunity for every class from now on to have leadership in fundraising for a memorable class gift their senior year,ܬ said Blades, who will head the class council.
All class president races are contested, Tirey said.
Polls will remain open until 6 p.m., he said. Any student can vote, and voters should bring their student ID cards.