Nearly the entire executive cabinet of the UWS Student Government Association is empty, as are six of the association's 13 senatorial seats. The situation has prompted existing government representatives to hold off on major actions until the special election slated for early October.

Mai Chang resigned her position as SGA President during the summer, with Emily Borra ascending to that position. As president, Borra will appoint someone to fill her former position of vice-president. She said recently that she was waiting until there were more senators elected from whom to choose that person. None of the existing senators were comfortable being moved into that position because it would mean giving up their right to vote. Among the seven empty cabinet positions are: Diversity director; Legislative Affairs director and vice-director; Shared Governance director; and SUFAC (Segregated University Fees Allocation Council) director and vice director. All positions are unfilled due to scheduling conflicts or graduating/transferring students.

The four senators who were elected in last spring's elections were unable to return this year due to scheduling conflicts. Combined with two positions that were unfilled from last year, representation has dropped from the allotted 13 senators to seven. Senator Jake Lindberg remarked that he was uncomfortable passing any major legislation with so few senators, and that it was an "extraordinary amount of power concentrated" in the remaining seven senators.

The two-week nomination process began September 13. Election packets are available beginning on Tuesday for anyone interested in running for senator. To be a candidate, one must have a GPA of at least 2.0 and collect at least 35 signatures. The seats to be filled are: two from the Departments of Accounting, Finance and Economics, Business Administration, and Elementary Education; two from the Departments of Communicating Arts, Music, Visual Arts, and Language and Literature; and one seat from the Departments of Politics, Law and Justice, Social Inquiry, and Human Behavior and Diversity. There is also one position for Student-at-Large; that person represents the entire student body.