The Student Government Association Special Election for the School of Social Work began at 7 a.m. on Nov. 20.

The election was held due to a seat vacancy in the School of Social Work Senate.

“This special election was held because a senator from the College of Social Work was unable to attend meetings,” said Speaker of the Senate Talor Allen, a junior majoring in political science. “The former senator has a class conflict.”

Josh Britt, SGA’s director for media relations, said the seat just needed to be filled.

“Special Elections are held to fill a vacant Senate seat in the college or school where the vacancy occurred,” said Abbey Manasco, a junior majoring in exercise sports science and chair of the SGA 2018-19 Elections Board.

Manasco said the Senate determined the Social Work senate seat was open on Nov. 1.

“We want to make sure with having these Special Elections that everyone’s represented so we want to fill that seat as quickly as possible,” said Clay Martinson, SGA vice president of student affairs and a junior majoring in history.

This is why the election was held the day before Thanksgiving break.

“We don’t want one school to be having less representation than another,” Martinson said.

Students in the School of Social Work were the only ones eligible to vote on MyBama in the Special Election.

“Only students in the same college can vote on the senator that will represent them,” Manasco said.

After voting closed at 7 p.m. on Nov. 20, the results declared that Devon Longstreet, a sophomore pre-law major, would fill the seat for the School of Social Work Senate.