As the opportunity for special election voting ended early Wednesday night, five Eastern faculty members remained unopposed in their bids for committee spots.

The special elections, which were to fill vacancies on eight different university committees, included positions on Faculty Senate, Council on Academic Affairs and University Personnel Committee.

Of the eight elections, only one—that for Sanction and Terminations Hearing Committee—had more than one candidate, while two of the eight had no candidates whatsoever.

Jon Oliver, a kinesiology and sports studies professor and vice-chair of Eastern’s Faculty Senate, said the low turnout among candidates was a result of having to hold special elections.

Oliver said the positions are normally filled during the spring, during which he said there is a much more abundant and diverse field of candidates.

However, as of this September, when Faculty Senate began accepting nominations, there were a number of vacancies.

Oliver said the spots were left open for a variety of reasons, including faculty leaving the university and resignation because of time constraints.

He noted that, unfortunately, many faculty members already have expectations to serve within their respective departments, leaving them less time to serve on university committees.

Regarding the two still-vacant positions on the University Personnel Committee and the Enrollment Management Advisory Committee, Oliver said he had high hopes that voting would result in write-in candidates.

He said there has already been one write-in candidate from the College of Business, who will need an additional nine faculty confirmation votes from various faculty to receive the appointment.

Ultimately, Oliver said while the turnout for the special elections were comparatively low, he was optimistic the spring elections would bring a larger pool of candidates.