Student Senate plans to move to online voting for its elections this year in an effort to increase voter turnout.

“The ultimate goal is to get more student participation in the election,” said Paul Crites, Student Senate vice president.

The goal is to have 25 percent of the student body vote, said Kent Smith, Ohio University’s vice president of Student Affairs. In 2005, 9 percent of undergraduates voted in the Senate election, according to a May 19 Post article.

If Senate’s plans work, there will be no paper ballots this year, and students will be able to log in and vote from any computer. In addition to normal computer labs, library stations and students’ personal computers, Student Senate will hire poll workers to operate stations with laptops at locations including Ping Center, Jefferson Hall, Bromley Hall and College Gate.

“Just in case [students] forget, it’s in their face that it’s voting day,” Senate President Morgan Allen explained.

Smith, who helped Auburn University through a similar transition, said going online can help with turnout if it is advertised the right way.

“This enhances accessibility,” he said. The administration plans to inform students about the new system through e-mail and posting on the OU Web site “way ahead of time,” he added.

Graduate Student Senate uses a similar online voting system, so Smith said the costs of switching Undergraduate Senate over are minimal.

“[Information Technology] will tweak it to fit Undergraduate Student Senate,” Smith said. “Really, this is cost savings.”

Despite this advantage, Smith recognizes several possible problems.

“The biggest thing I think is security,” he said, citing campaigning near polling locations and block voting as particular issues. “[Senate] will have to think of other things that can come up from a student perspective,” he added.

In their meeting last night, Senate discussed possible rules regarding campaigning near computer stations. In a proposal draft, senators suggested banning campaigning or campaign materials within 50 feet of university computers.

Senators also passed a new regulation for determining which upperclassmen can live in the residence halls, which will only take effect if there is a shortage of beds on campus.

Continuing the debate about athletic cuts, Senate members unanimously passed a resolution condemning the Athletic Department for deciding against phasing out, but instead completely cutting, four sports teams.