The senate had a change of heart Wednesday night and revoted to appoint Steve Skutnik as election commissioner – an appointment senators voted down last week.

This accompanied an overhaul in the Government of the Student Body Election Bylaws,

Tony Luken, LAS, asked the senate to reconsider the bill to appoint Skutnik, who served on the election commission last year. The senate revoted 29-2 with one abstention in favor of seating Skutnik.

The majority vote was fueled by Jonathon Weaver’s urge to senators to vote based on Skutnik’s merits – not on a personal vendetta.

“Over the weekend, I did some introspection,” said Weaver, who voted against the bill last week. “It probably was personally motivated . He’s definitely the most qualified candidate, and I encourage you all to do some introspection of your own.”

Only two senators, Alex Rodeck, off campus, and Jennifer Ray, American ethnic minority, voted against the bill.

“It’s what I believed the first time, and I still don’t think he’s the right man for the job,” Rodeck said. “I never will.”

The senate’s appointment of Skutnik was “admirable,” Luken said.

“[Weaver] went against his personal feelings and voted on the merits,” he said. “It’s to be commended.”

Skutnik couldn’t be reached for comment.

Luken also sponsored the election bylaw reform legislation that will make it easier for students to run for the GSB executive seats.

Currently, student teams seeking the executive GSB seats are required to petition 2,000 signatures before they run for president or vice president.

The new bylaw requires a student team to petition only 1,500 signatures before his or her name appears on the election ballot as a candidate for an executive seat.

Several senators argued that prospective candidates should only be required to petition 1,000 signatures.

Rodeck said reducing the number of signatures would allow prospective candidates to focus more of their time on campaigning and less on gathering students’ signatures. He said lowering the number of signatures would present students with many benefits.

“I like 1,000 signatures because it encourages more people to run,” Rodeck said.

GSB President Andy Tofilon said 1,500 was the appropriate number of signatures, and he would consider vetoing the bill if it went any lower.

“You have to be very committed to [an executive seat in government], and I am very hesitant to let this go down to 1,000,” Tofilon said. “Fifteen hundred is the appropriate level.”