The Student Government Association Elections Board has moved a special election for five open senate seats — originally scheduled for Oct. 19 — to Tuesday, Nov. 30. 

One seat is open for the College of Commerce and Business Administration, two seats are open for the School of Law and two seats are open for the graduate school. 

The original election date contradicted the SGA Constitution, Code of Laws and Student Elections Board Elections Manual. The Elections Board declared that the election would be invalid after the numerous breaches of code had been presented.  

The late posting of the Senate election timeline pushed the election further back. The timeline is required to be posted 21 class days before the election, but it was posted on the SGA’s Instagram page on Sept. 30, 10 days after the deadline. 

Senate elections take place annually in late February or early March. A fall election takes place every year to fill vacant seats. 

“It is our goal to fulfill the standards set forth by the Elections Manual, the Code of Laws, and the Constitution and we did not meet those standards this semester,” the Elections Board said in a statement to The Crimson White. “We sincerely apologize for this oversight and any inconvenience it may cause.”

Justin McCleskey, a candidate running for one of the graduate seats, started campaigning before the SGA changed election day. 

“Postponing the election was the only correct action for SGA to take,” McCleskey said. “While it would have been great to have the elections as scheduled, this was a necessary change that will hopefully encourage a fair election.”