Elections to staff the Student Senate will be held in Coleman Hall from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.

The position for vice president of business affairs is also up for vote, with three candidates, including the incumbent Jarrod Scherle, vying for the position. This term, 28 candidates are running for 22 available seats, and three candidates are running for the executive vacancy.

Each contender has submitted to a background check courtesy of the Elections Commission, which screened students to ensure they hold a minimum 2.30 GPA, as well as possess good academic and disciplinary standing within the university.

Olivia Brauer, director of the Elections Commission, said all signatures present on a candidate’s petition are also checked to make sure the E-numbers are correct and match up to an actual student. If a candidate fails to meet any one of these prerequisites, they do not qualify for election.

Strict standards are determined by the commission.

“In the past, we’ve had violations such as people walking voters to the polls and campaigning in the Student Activities Center,” Brauer said. “These are the only two real violations I know of that have happened in the past four semesters.”

Brauer said one candidate was disqualified this election based on a discrepancy pertaining to the validity of a signature on their petition, and another withdrew from the election yesterday.

Senate candidates at-large

Michael P. Whildin, Richard Gary, Otis Seawood Jr., Aaron Wiessing, Craig Wolf, Zachariah J. Caskey, John Poshepny, Richard Greenfield, Nahder Houshmand, Kristina Bailey, Scott Viverito and Tommy Nierman

Senate candidates On-Campus

Blake Pierce, Matthew Boyd, Holly Henry, Alexander J. Boyd, Keeva Johnson, Vince Kroll, Benjamin Mapes, Erika Collier, Lindsey Woodcock and Mary Lane

Senate candidates Off-Campus

Matthew Pickham, Carissa Coon, Noe Lara Jr., Paul Stephens, Isaac S. Sandidge and DeMarlon S. Brown

Vice President for Business Affairs candidates

Jarrod T. Scherle, Sarah Christine Earnhart and Amy Kennedy

Erica Whelan can be reached at 581-7492 or at elwhelan@eiu.edu.