With elections for the first GUSA Senate scheduled for Friday, Student Association leaders are racing to recruit candidates to run in all of the new districts created by this month’s successful constitutional referendum.

As of last night, candidates had filed to run in all but two of the 23 open districts, according to a database maintained by the Election Commission. Candidates have until 5 p.m. today to submit their applications to the commission.

GUSA leaders said they were confident that the election would be competitive and that every district would be represented, saying they knew of more candidates who planned to file today. Still, they conceded they were working under a narrow time frame.

“I think I might be lying if I [say that I] am not a little concerned,” GUSA President Twister Murchison (SFS ’08) said. “It’s the first time we’ve done this and not only are we trying to do something that’s never been done before, but we’re also doing it in fewer days than we’ve ever done it.”

Matt Stoller (COL ’08), GUSA’s deputy chief of staff, said that he was confident that each district would have at least one candidate running. He was also confident that there will be multiple candidates in most districts.

As of last night, only eight districts had more than one candidate filed to run.

The Senate was created by an amendment to the GUSA constitution, which students overwhelmingly endorsed on Oct. 12. The Senate, whose members are elected from geographic districts on campus, replaces the GUSA Assembly, in which each class elected four at-large members.

Students in 12 districts – including the four at-large seats that represent the entire student population living off campus – will not participate in elections because they are represented by former members of the defunct Assembly, who automatically retain seats in the new Senate.

As of last night, 35 students had filed to run for the Senate, according to the database. Of those, 31 were freshmen and sophomores; just one was a junior. The most competitive districts were floors one and two of New South Hall and floors 2-5 in cCarthy Hall, each of which fielded four candidates.

Former GUSA President Pravin Rajan (SFS ’07) was one of three seniors running. As of last night, he was the only candidate in the district representing Alumni Square apartments 1-45.

Following the passage of the amendment, Director of Student Programs Martha Swanson said that geographical representation in GUSA’s legislative arm could diminish the voice of upperclassmen, particularly juniors.

“The class that is underrepresented structurally is the junior class because they aren’t here,” Swanson said, noting that many juniors go abroad for some or all of the academic year. “I think it will be interesting to see who will run.”

Murchison said it was possible that certain classes could be underrepresented, but said that geographical representation had advantages.

“I think sometimes people can identify more with where they live than with their classmates,” Murchison said.

Friday’s elections will give students the chance to vote for the first time by Instant Run-off Voting, which passed as part of the amendment and allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives 50 percent of the vote, the bottom-ranking candidate is removed from contention until one candidate has a majority.

The new voting was instituted to reverse the trend of GUSA officials being elected by a minority of the vote. GUSA officials have instituted safeguards against other potential voting irregularities.

The new voting system, called Key Form, will send voters an e-mail guiding each student to a site that lists the 23 districts where voting is taking place. The system does not prevent students from voting more than once, but Election Commissioner Alison Noelker (COL ’07) will be able to see the Net ID of each student who has voted, and offenders will then be contacted.