Candidates for positions on the Undergraduate Assembly and class boards met in Logan Hall last night to learn the do's and don'ts of campaigning.
Campaigns officially started at 6 a.m. today, with online elections through Penn InTouch running from April 2 to April 9. Election results will be announced on April 10.
Student interest in government positions was high this year, with over a hundred people collecting election information packets.
"We've had a really good turnout," said Nominations and Elections Committee Chairwoman Anne Hankey, a College senior. "Everything's gone smoothly."
This year, there are 61 candidates for UA positions, up significantly from last year's total 45, and the number makes largest pool of candidates since 1999.
As expected, over half the students are from the College. Fourteen are from Wharton, 10 from Engineering and two from Nursing.
Competition will again be tough for College and Wharton students. There are only 16 UA seats available for College students, and a mere four for Wharton representatives.
Four seats will be distributed to Engineering winners, and one seat to the Nursing victor.
Yesterday's meeting was intended to clarify the Fair Practices Code, which sets the guidelines for campaigning. Before winners are announced, the NEC will hold a violations hearing in Bodek Lounge. Committee members are hopeful that disqualifications will not be necessary.
"We haven't had a violation in the last year," Hankey said. She added that she is the only current NEC member to have ever witnessed a campaigning violation.
Elections will kick off on April 2 with the event "Get out the Vote" on College Green, giving students an opportunity to meet the candidates face-to-face. Various forms of entertainment, including a cappella group performances and a hot dog-eating contest, will carry on throughout the day.
Candidates say they hope to earn votes by establishing greater personal contact with students.
"I'm gonna talk to individual students about their needs," said College junior Lincoln Ellis, who is running for a School of Arts and Sciences representative post on the UA.
"I'll just try to get my face out there," said College freshman Caroline Gordon, the incumbent candidate for class board secretary.
If elected, some candidates promised to give students the opportunity to voice their opinions through their representatives.
"I think it's important as a student activist to try to use sectors and institutions to make our voice heard," Ellis said.
For others, the candidacy is one step in a vocational path.
"It's one of my aspiring dreams to one day be part of government," Gordon said.
Some candidates running for re-election said they enjoyed the experience of being on the class board or UA and felt they had made a difference.
"I've been on class board for two years," said College sophomore Meredith Seidel, who is running for Class of 2004 president. "I really enjoyed it last year, and think I can do even better next year."
Candidates are not expecting easy victories, though.
"Competition should be pretty steep," said Seidel. Her opponent is current Class of 2004 president Jason Levy, a College sophomore.
Ellis, however, believes he has one definite advantage over other candidates.
"I hope with a name like Lincoln, people will vote for me."
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