Staff members will not have to leave their office to vote in today’s staff senate elections.

Electronic voting is open for 24-hours, starting at 8:30 a.m. today.

The system, set up for faculty elections by members of the Information Technology Services staff, is being used for the staff senate elections. Staff members should have received an e-mail containing a link for voting.

Cay Kolling, senate president and an ITS employee, said she hopes staff will be more likely to vote with the new system.

“Voting has been very minimal,” Kolling said.

The senate’s objective is to keep employees informed of issues on campus.

“I think, with the budget situation and financial situations, people should be more involved with what’s going on,” Kolling said. “We’re trying to keep awareness as things change.”

Kolling said senators try to keep their constituents informed of developments on the university’s financial situation.

“The better informed we are, the better off we are,” she said.

The eight open positions have 11 candidates. The positions are area-specific, and staff members are only permitted to vote for candidates in their area. An Eastern login ID and password are required for voting.

The senate’s role on campus is an advisory one. Its members take part in different councils and groups on campus.

Sarah Ruholl can be reached at 581-7942 or seruholl2@eiu.edu.