Only about 75 to 80 students voted today during day one of Student Government elections.

About 50 voted on the booth set up on the south corner of Coleman, and 25 to 30 voted in booth set up near the food court in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union, according to the students overseeing each poll.

Many of the candidates campaigned a little through people they knew or through the Internet.

“I’ve talked to people in my hall and created a Facebook group,” said Thomas Nierman, a freshman undecided major.

Nierman is vying for a spot on Student Senate next semester.

This is the first time he is running.

Drew Griffin, a junior political science major, is running for Student Senate Speaker.

“I personally don’t have a campaign,” he said. “These are people that have worked with me before, and I have talked to (senate members) on a personal level before.”

Griffin currently is a Student Senate member and the chair of the External Relations Committee.

One of his biggest goals is to get Student Government more recognized on campus.

“I want a lot of people running in the spring elections,” he said. “I also want more visibility on campus and would like to have appointments done by the first five weeks of the semester, if I do get the speaker position.”

Another goal of his is to re-work the Student Body Constitution, so that students could vote on the new one in the spring election.

Griffin thinks he could handle the job of Student Senate Speaker.

“I think I could run a meeting effectively,” he said. “I’m excited about Wednesday night no matter what.”

Isaac Sandidge, senior psychology major, will be stepping down as Student Senate Speaker.

Paul Reid is also running for the position of Student Senate Speaker.

He said he has the support of Sandidge and Student Body President Levi Bulgar.

Reid and Griffin will go against each other at Wednesday night’s meeting.

Chris Kromphardt is already on Student Senate, but will be running again because his term is up.

He is running for the United Party of Students.

He has done some campaigning on behalf of his party.

“I have gone through personal contact and making sure to remind people to vote,” he said.

“Also, a Facebook group was created for my party.”

Although the voter turnout numbers appear low, more people traditionally vote for the spring elections.

“There are not as many people in the fall because it is an uncontested election,” said Tiffany Turner, student vice president for business affairs.

Brittany Wells, a junior elementary education major and first time candidate has the backing of her sorority for the fall elections.

Leanne Koenig, a member of Alpha Gamma Delta, said she has been trying to get her friends and other sorority members to vote for Wells.

“The president of the sorority has been sending out emails telling us to vote for her,” she said.

Ashlei Birch, student executive director of elections, said she and other Student Senate members have been putting flyers around campus and ads in the Daily Eastern News to draw attention to the fall elections.

“It is basically more through word of mouth,” she said about voter turnout. “In the spring elections, there is a lot more campaigning.”

Heather Holm can be reached at 581-7942 or at haholm@eiu.edu.

Sophomore nursing major Claire Murphy votes for student government Monday afternoon in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union. In addition to the polls set up in the union, Coleman Hall has a table set up where students can vote. (Kelsey Karstrand

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