With representative and executive board application deadlines and debates out of the way, students can plan on voting for Associated Students of NMU (ASNMU) representatives in less than a week.

The deadline to apply to run for ASNMU was Tuesday. Three people applied to run for president, three for vice president and six for the general assembly.  The other positions will be filled by an elections committee, which includes the vice president and four members of the general assembly.

“When they start up, the vice president will be in charge of appointing people and finding people to apply,” said ASNMU President Courtney Russell.

The appointments committee will interview prospective representatives to fill vacant positions, and, after the interviews, require a three-fourths vote of approval from the general assembly.

ASNMU’s general assembly is supposed to include one representative per academic college and one for general university programs, plus one representative for every 1,000 students in each college and general program. For housing, the assembly includes one representative for those who live in Gant, Spalding, Halverson, Payne, Van Antwerp and Hunt Halls; one representative for those who live in on-campus apartments; one for those living in Magers, West, Meyland and Spooner Halls; and one representative for students in off-campus housing; plus one additional representative per 850 students living in each section. There is also a chair, voted for by the assembly and approved by the president.

There is also an executive board, which includes the president, vice president, and treasurer.

The approved budget for the election at Monday’s meeting was $444, but this amount was incorrect. It included $74 to pay those who work at the election booth on April 5 and $370 to pay those who work at the election booths on April 6, but the budget will be changed to $594 to include 10 laptop rentals from the LRC for the voting stations, at $15 per laptop.

ASNMU’s funds, including those used for the election, come out of the Student Activity Fee, which is extracted from full-time students’ tuition and fees. ASNMU treasurer Andrew Foster said the amount allocated to ASNMU depends on the number of students enrolled, so it changes from year to year. During the 2009-2010 academic year, ASNMU received $18,874.80, and this academic year, ASNMU has received $18,826.80. Foster said the largest expense for the past three years has been paying student laborers, secretaries who work in ASNMU’s office. ASNMU’s funds are also used to pay for the 24-hour study lounge, which includes security guards, utilities in the office, and advertising, like printing posters during elections, Courtney Russell said.

Presidential candidates are Benjamin Stanley, Helina Haile and Justin Brugman; vice presidential candidates are Camden Mikhail (McCarty), Stephanie Grabowski and Drew Janego; and the six candidates for the general assembly are Laura Nagle, Katie Mara, Chris Kovala, Aaron Loudenslager, Chris Hoffman and Dani Thoune.

Students can vote at one of the polling stations on April 5 from 5-10 p.m. at the PEIF, April 6 from 11-4 p.m. in Jamrich, the LRC, the art department, Jacobetti or the Marketplace, or either of the two days online at myweb.nmu.edu/vote.