The Student Interaction Party will announce its candidates for spring elections as well as a plan to revamp the election process tonight in the 7th Street Underground.

“On a campus of 12,000, there is no reason we shouldn’t have 1,000 voting in (Student Government) elections,” said Ryan Berger, current speaker of Student Senate who plans to run for student body president.

Candidates have won positions in the past with only 600 votes, he said

The Student Interaction Party plans to take a “nontraditional” approach to the election process by speaking in the residence halls and Greek houses and making an effort to interact with students, Berger said.

“(Eastern has) reached a point where people in high executive positions need to do things like (campaigning) to get to students,” he said.

Jill Ruddy, who plans to run for student vice president of Business Affairs, said she is excited to start campaigning early to familiarize students with the party.

“(We want students to) know our names before the vote,” Ruddy said.

Ruddy said she is interested in campaigning for the position because Student Government has a bigger impact on campus than many students realize. Students should know where their money is going, and they should be aware of opportunities to interact on campus, Ruddy said.

In the past, candidates have announced their plans one to two weeks before elections, but the Student Interaction Party has been planning its strategy for about a month, Berger said.

Current senate members Andrew Berger, Keila Lacy and Chelsea Frederick plan to run for executive vice president, student vice president of student affairs and student vice president of academic affairs, respectively.

By starting now, the party will have roughly a month to campaign before the election, which will be held in April.

The student body is welcome to join the members of the party to begin their campaign with speeches and student questions at 8 p.m. at the 7th Street Underground.