More than 1,100 students voted in Student Government elections that took place Monday and Tuesday, said Ashlei Birch, student director of elections.

During the Spring 2007 Student Government elections, 498 students voted.

Birch said the most students voted between classes.

Election results will be announced at today’s Student Government meeting.

Matt Feely, graduate assistant for Student Government, said that the ballots will be taken to Ninth Street Hall today and counted by Jennifer Smith. The ballots were Scantrons, which eliminates human error, Feely said.

Candidates for Student Government were out again on Tuesday campaigning and urging students to vote.

Bobbie Mitchell, the student body president candidate for Students Wanting Action Today, said his party was out to remind students to vote.

“It seems like people have their minds made up,” he said.

Chris Kromphardt, the student vice president for academic affairs candidate from the United Party of Students, said his party had changed their campaign strategy by changing campaigning locations on Tuesday.

Monday, his party spent most of the day campaigning on the South Quad. On Tuesday, they moved their campaign efforts towards the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

The parties were using different tactics to try to win voters, too.

SWAT handed out buttons and UPS still passed out candy to students.

“People are still responding to the candy,” Kromphardt said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if next election we see everyone with candy.”

Kromphardt said people have passed out flyers for years, and the candy allowed the party to actually talk to students while showing them how the party was different from other parties.

Kromphardt added the candy was more effective than flyers when trying to get students’ attention.

“One of our guys called it sidewalk spam,” Kromphardt said.

Mitchell said his party was not passing out candy because that was UPS’ strategy. The buttons seemed to be popular with students, he added.

Omar Solomon, a student senate member candidate from Students United Party, said his party was just trying to get the word out to students and remind them to vote by passing out flyers.

His party was taking a few minutes at the beginning of their classes to remind students to vote in the elections.

Solomon said that SUP’s slogan was “Giving Students What They Want.” While campaigning, Solomon was telling students his promise to make student senators more visible on campus if on Student Senate.

“I can promise, you will see me on campus if you haven’t already,” he said.

Solomon said he disagreed with the effectiveness of UPS’ strategy of passing out candy to potential voters as well.

“Candy disappears in a minute, you’ll lose the button in a day or two but the connection we make with you will last forever,” Solomon said.

He said he believed the other parties were focusing on SUP because of their longevity in Student Government.

“It’s our third year running as a party,” Solomon said. “People always come at us because we’re at the top.”

Tuesday, most of the parties had moved to just over 100 feet from the voting tent. Candidates were not allowed to vote wearing their party shirts and were not allowed to campaign on the sidewalk in front of the Housing and Dining office on the north side of the Library Quad, Kromphardt said.

Campaign bylaws state campaigning is not allowed within 100 feet of the tent.

“I think everybody has pushed the envelope on where we stand,” Mitchell said.

Kromphardt said his party measured ahead of campaigning, so they knew exactly where they could stand to talk to students.

Feely said he will pick up the election results today and deliver them to Ceci Brinker, the director of student life.

“I don’t even look at it,” Feely said.

Brinker may look at the results before the meeting if she chooses to do so.

The final results will be announced either by Birch or Student Senate Speaker Megan Ogulnick, Feely said.

Student Government meets at 7 p.m. in the Arcola/Tuscola Room of the Union.

Nora Maberry can be reached at 581-7942 or nemaberry@eiu.edu.

Drew Griffin, a candidate for off-campus senator, discusses campiagning regulations with Matt Feely, the Student Life Adviser on Tuesday afternoon outside of McAfee Gymansium. (Bryce Peake/The Daily Eastern News)

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