With the start of the new semester comes a special election to fill two senate seats for the Arts and Sciences College in the UA SGA.

The vacancies, previously held by Mason Johnston and Maxwell Martin, will be filled for the remainder of the elected offices terms. 

Johnston is studying abroad this semester, and Martin has switched colleges within the University and therefore can no longer hold his Arts and Sciences senate seat. Johnston said he found the most valuable parts of his position was the ability to gain a greater appreciation for the mountains of work that go on behind the scenes and the opportunity to “make an impact on campus.”

“My peers were some of the smartest and most enterprising students I’ve met at The University of Alabama, and I’ll miss working alongside them,” said Johnston.

The elections board held a mandatory meeting on Thursday regarding the upcoming special election.

“The importance of this meeting is to get as many students involved in SGA and to make sure we follow the elections manual in filling these seats at least 40 days before this election,” said Ethan Fialkow, elections board chair and a senior majoring in marketing.  

The 15-minute meeting discussed items such as each candidate’s eligibility, important due dates and spending limits.  

In order to be eligible, candidates must submit a statement of intent before Jan. 14.  Additionally, members of the elections board pointed out that a candidate’s financial disclosure form must be submitted whether the candidate spent the maximum $300 or $0. Candidates must also follow all campaign guidelines during the official campaign period in order to properly run for one of the open seats.  

Elections board members discussed campaign guidelines and went over permitted campaign materials throughout the meeting. Students were told to follow the fall 2017 elections manual for the time being. Fialkow said that an updated elections manual would be released before the special election timeline.

Finally, the elections board informed students that they cannot campaign within 25 feet of all UA buildings except for the Ferguson Center and the Plaza. Those interested in running for the vacant seats should contact the SGA office for more information and details about campaigning. Campaigning for potential candidates begins on Jan. 16.

“We encourage people to get involved with the Student Government Association and make sure to vote on election day,” Fialkow said.