DeKALB — Students interested in running for Student Association Senate and Executive Board started the process by attending the first candidates’ meeting.

SA Elections Commissioner Jamilah Dodd and Kayla Sorensen, SA Board of Elections chairwoman, led the mandatory candidates’ meeting 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Holmes Student Center, Sky Room.

Candidates running for SA Senate positions will run to gain a position on one of four districts represented by the SA Senate. Each district has nine elected senators, leaving four spots remaining for new students in the fall.

SA Senate candidates must get 50 signatures on a petition to claim a spot on the ballot. After the ballot is released, candidates are allowed to start promoting themselves for a couple of weeks before elections.

“The sooner they turn their packets and signatures in, the sooner they get put on the ballot,” Dodd said. “The ballot is displayed at the Campus Life Building or online.”

As the election commissioner, Dodd is in charge of setting up the elections. She gets in contact with faculty members, sets up tables relating to the elections and promotes and advertises the elections.

“Basically, I am in charge of getting the students involved by going face-to-face with the student body and telling them about the elections,” Dodd said.

In previous elections, SA Senate elections and SA Executive elections were separated. This year, both elections are at the same time, meaning students can run for senate positions as well as executive positions such as treasurer, vice president and president.

The names of students running for executive positions are not being disclosed at this time.

Morgan Fink is a staff writer. She can be reached at [email protected].