The application for the GPSA general election opened on Feb. 2. 

Andrew Gillreath-Brown, GPSA communications chair, said there are about 60 senator positions and eight college representative seats open. He said students can also run for president, vice president and vice president for legislative affairs. 

He said graduate and professional students can complete the general election application on Campus Labs, previously known as CougSync. Applications close at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 17. 

“[GPSA] really makes you see the fruits of your labor,” Gillreath-Brown said.

The GPSA Internal Affairs Committee reconstructed GPSA bylaws and decided to make the filing period shorter this year, Gillreath-Brown said.

He said students running for senator and college representative positions must be Pullman fee-paying students.

Graduate students working at research centers are also eligible to run for a position, Gillreath-Brown said.

Students can only vote for the candidates who are running in their specific departments or colleges, Gillreath-Brown said.

The chair of the student’s department and the student involvement adviser must approve the candidates running for president, vice president and vice president of legislative affairs positions. 

Gillreath-Brown said the application packets include the procedure for general elections. Candidates are required to state their campaign plans as well as get a signature from the candidate’s academic adviser.

Candidates can find a complete outline of the campaign rules in the GPSA bylaws.

“It’s definitely a good way to understand how our university works,” Gillreath-Brown said.

This year, the vice president of legislative affairs will be chosen by the student body’s vote rather than being appointed by the president and vice president, Gillreath-Brown said.

The vice president of legislative affairs acts as the chair for the legislative affairs committee. The responsibilities for the position also include developing a legislative agenda and coordinating capitol visits, according to the GPSA website. The position is a 20-hour time commitment each week.

“The organization itself is really run by the students, so it’s important that they have a vote,” Gillreath-Brown said. 

Those interested can visit the GPSA elections website to learn more.