Candidates are anxious to know what the voter turnout will be when the Government of the Student Body holds its annual elections Monday and Tuesday.

GSB election commissioner and senior in mechanical engineering Michael Gilbert said he didn’t expect the 10 percent voter turnout the elections had last year because the 10 percent from last year went toward the executive part of the election, and with only one presidential slate on this year’s ballot, he doesn’t expect the same numbers.

GSB senator, junior in political science and presidential candidate Brian Phillips said weather has affected his campaigning efforts, but luckily, there’s still time.

“We’re still planning on trying to go to groups Monday and Tuesday, and we’re going to try to do some greek house dinner announcements to get the word out,” he said.

Gilbert said he predicts every seat will receive some votes, but he is unsure of whether everyone who is elected will accept that position.

Polls opened at midnight on Monday morning and will be open all day Tuesday as well, Gilbert said. Students wanting to cast their vote can go online to www.vote.iastate.edu.

Phillips said since voting is so easy, there’s no excuse not to do it. Voter turnout has fluctuated so much in past years that he didn’t know what turnout would be this year.

Gilbert agrees with Phillips in the importance of voting and also said that since voting is so easy, students really should cast their vote.

“I guess if you don’t vote, then you really shouldn’t have a say in what you can complain about and what you can’t,” Gilbert said.

Voting is important for students because of what GSB does, Phillips said. GSB distributes student fees and is the student representative to the city, state and the university administration.

“We need student input if we’re going to do that effectively,” he said.

Phillips said in addition to his campaign, he has been paying attention to the senate campaigns as well. After watching the agricultural senate debate on Friday, regardless of who wins, there will be quality representation from that position, he said.

“Those candidates are well-prepared,” he said.

With the ballot as empty as it is, write-in candidates will be needed to fill seats throughout senate. Gilbert said about five to 10 students have e-mailed him about a write-in campaign.

“I’m expecting there to be a good write-in turnout, not necessarily votes-wise, but candidates-wise,” he said.

Many students who wanted to be on the ballot but were not able to get on are running write-in campaigns, Phillips said.