Students looking to become senators at the University of Connecticut Undergraduate Student Government have until Saturday, Sept. 12, to submit their intent to run forms.
The role of senators is to provide representation and gain feedback to different student groups and then reflect those interests during discussion and policy decisions at USG, according to the Fall 2026 election packet.
The election packet distinguishes between three different kinds of seats in the senate based on who the senator is designated to represent.
Residential seats are the main positions left open for students to campaign for in fall semesters, according to the packet. Senators in this role are expected to represent students in the area they live on campus, or commuter and online students for off-campus students.
The fall elections also cover academic seats that remained open after the spring elections where most of them got filled. These senators are chosen to represent their academic programs, with seven of the nine schools at UConn having vacancies this election, according to the election packet.
The last type of available seats are the multicultural and diversity seats dedicated to UConn student groups that don’t feel well represented in the student government, according to the packet. These seats are only up for election during vacancies, with two seats being open this fall.
Senators are voted on by members of the UConn residential or academic groups that a student is campaigning for, according to USG. Multicultural and diversity seats are voted on by the entire student body.
Voting for senators begins at noon on Tuesday Sept. 15 and ends at noon on Thursday Sept. 17. Student votes are hosted on UConntact through the UConn Votes system, according to the UConn website.
USG President Venice Montanaro encouraged students looking to get involved on campus to become a USG Senator during an interview on Tuesday.
“With guest speakers discussing issues relevant to the student experience, you can get more connected and get involved on a deeper level,” Montanaro said. “Being a senator is a great opportunity no matter what major.”
Montanaro also highlighted other perks USG senators get beyond students feeling more connected to campus.
“By getting academic credit and immediate support, you can work to write legislation to make a difference,” Montanaro said.
The election packet said that senators are unpaid but may be academically compensated through completing optional course credits. The compensation was formerly offered through a one credit political science course.
Not all responsibilities for senators are optional. Chief Justice of USG Caroline Kelly said that the speaker of the senate will handle any issues with senators’ attendance of the mandatory advocacy committee and senate meetings.
“[A]ll senators are assigned to one of our three advocacy committees which meet weekly for an hour to discuss relevant student concerns and plan upcoming events,” Kelly said.
The mandatory senate meetings meet biweekly and are replaced by optional caucus meetings focused on informal bonding activities and workshops when not in session, according to Kelly.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated as of Sept. 9 to clarify the headline.