Senate elections

Election process overview

The election process for Senate consists of 3 main parts:

  1. Application on SenatePath — see full description in “Application Items” below

    • Initial Application

    • 15 Constituent Nominations

    • Potentially: representation approval from Community Constituency group

  2. A brief campaign – once application is approved

  3. Election by academic college/program – undergraduates vote by college in the student hub for their Senators

Application and election full timeline

  • September 9: Candidate Announcement

  • September 14, 6:30 PM: Meet the Candidates Event

  • September 14, 10:00 PM: Voting Begins

  • September 18: Voting Closes

  • September 19-20: Results Verified and Published

  • September 20: Senator Training and Education Program (STEP)

  • September 21: First Senate Meeting

Go to SenatePath

Candidate eligibility

According to the Senate Elections Manual, Northeastern students are eligible to run if they fit the following criteria:

  • Undergraduate

  • Good academic standing

  • If they have completed at least one semester on the Boston campus at the time of Election

  • Must represent a community constituency — more information below

  • Must plan on being Boston-based for the full duration of their potential term (2 semesters)

  • May not hold a different leadership position in SGA

If a student does not fit this criteria but would still like to get involved with the broader SGA, please visit the Get Involved Page. If they would like to directly get involved with Senate, we welcome their attendance as a student-at-large and invite them to write legislation for Senate.

seat distribution

The number of Senators per college is determined on a 500 students to 1 Senator ratio. If this ratio results in over 50 seats available, it will be altered. The number of students per college is gathered from the Northeastern University Facts and Figures page.

Seats are elected on a rolling basis; approximately half of the seats will be up for election every semester. Senate terms are 2 semesters.

College or Program

D’Amore-McKim School of Business
College of Science
Khoury College of Computer Sciences
College of Engineering
Bouvé College of Health Sciences
College of Social Sciences and Humanities
College of Arts, Media and Design
University Programs (Explore)
Total

Population

5,518
4,042
3,775
3,755
2,517
2,161
1,637
379
23,784

Seats

11
8
8
8
5
4
3
1
48

Available

5
4
4
4
3
2
2
1
25

Application process items

Initial application

The Initial Application is the written portion of the Senate application process. The information listed below must be submitted through the SenatePath’s “Apply” section. 

    • Legal full name

    • Preferred full name – optional

    • Northeastern Email

    • Phone number

    • NUID

    • Pronouns

    • Phonetic pronunciation of last name

    • Audio recording of last name

    • College (select all that apply)

    • Major(s)

    • Minor(s) – optional

    • Year

  • Community Constituency

    Community Constituencies are designed to ensure that the Senators are in touch with the needs of students outside of academics. Each candidate will be asked to select a community constituency in the application and, in a different part of the application, show proof that they have been approved to represent said Community Constituency group. 

    Automatically approved and listed Community Constituencies are all SGA recognized student organizations, CSI recognized Fraternities/Sororities, and Cultural or Spiritual life centers (or any organizations housed under them). If a candidate wishes to run to represent a group or organization that is not automatically approved or is not listed on SenatePath, they should contact sgaSenateSpeaker@northeastern.edu.

    It is important to note that each Community Constituency group may only have one Senator per college. Meaning, a Community Constituency group can only have one Senator representing them in a specific college but may have other Senators in other colleges.

    Academic Constituency

    All Senators hold an Academic Constituency which allows them to represent their academic college or program. Candidates who have a double or combined major which spans two colleges may choose which college they wish to run for.

    It is recommended that candidates consider the merit of running for each college based on the competitiveness of the election, the connection they have to each college, and the needs of the students in each college. 

  • Purpose of Questions:

    In the case that there are over twice as many candidates as seats available in a college, SGA’s Speaker of the Senate, VP of DEI, and Director of Elections will have to narrow the pool of candidates using the candidates’ answers to these questions. Lowering the number of candidates to twice the amount of seats open will ensure that voters are able to properly and thoroughly consider all candidates on the ballot. The narrowing, if conducted, is based on creating a diverse and well-qualified Senate.


    Question Instructions: 

    Please fill out all of the following questions to the best of your ability. Keep in mind while there is no word count – the ability to express yourself in a succinct and concise manner is a highly desirable skill set in the Senate, and will be factored into the evaluation of your application. It is recommended to focus on the quality and clarity rather than a specific number of words per question.

    Question 1:

    The Student Government Association (SGA) has several committees, boards, and working groups spanning different areas of the student experience. Talk about why you're choosing to become part of Senate – what makes this opportunity stand out and what specific aspects of Senate motivated you to apply.

    Question 2:

    As a Senator, you'll be representing your community and academic constituency in addition to serving as an advocate for all students of Northeastern University. Describe an issue facing both your academic constituency and your community constituency. How will you equitably advocate on behalf of all of these parties while in the Senate Chambers?

    Question 3:

    Now more than ever principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion need to be purposefully implemented and considered in all aspects of the Association's activities. Your fellow Huskies may not be aware of the different perspectives within underrepresented communities on campus. In your own words, define diversity, equity, and inclusion and describe what these terms mean to you. Additionally, explain how you will embody principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion during your time in Senate? How will you contribute to our efforts to ensure the voices and needs of Northeastern's diverse populations are heard?

    Question 4:

    Talk about a time you were faced with a conflict or difficult situation. How did you handle it – and how has it impacted the person you are today?

Constituent nominations

To indicate that an application is well connected to and supported by their constituents, they must collect 15 nominations. Nominations are simply an indication that a student supports a potential Candidate running to represent them; it is not a vote. Students may nominate more than one potential Candidate.

Potential Candidates may collect nominations from both their Community Constituency and their Academic Constituency. They must collect at least 15 of the 15 from their Academic Constituency (a maximum of 7 nominations may be from their Community Constituency). 

Constituent nominations must be submitted through SenatePath’s “Nominate” page. Constituents will only be able to nominate a potential Candidate once they have submitted their initial application on SenatePath. 

Endorsement form

The Endorsement Form is intended to ensure potential candidates are well equipped to be a Senator. It must be completed by someone who currently holds or previously held a position of authority over the potential candidate and can therefore attest that they would make a good Senator. Potential candidates can only submit one Endorsement.

  • Eligible persons who can complete the Endorsement Form on behalf of the candidate include but are not limited to: current or previous professors, a current or previous boss or supervisor, staff of Northeastern University Cultural or Spiritual Centers, a leader in a community organization, or a person of leadership in a Northeastern University Student Organization. 

    If a potential candidate wants someone in a position not listed above to fill out the Endorsement Form, they must have the person approved by the Speaker of the Senate.

    A family member may not complete the Endorsement Form on behalf of a candidate under any circumstances.

  • Endorsers will have to answer all of the following questions.

    Question 1:

    When describing this applicant, what do you believe are some of their defining traits or qualities?

    Question 2: 

    Of the applicant's qualities you just described, which of them do you believe will serve them best in a leadership position and why?

    Question 3:

    One of the benefits of leadership positions is that they allow for students to grow and develop skills vital for their personal, academic, and professional journeys. What are some areas or skills that you think would be most beneficial for this applicant to develop in order to become a more effective leader?

Community Constituency Representation approval

Potential Candidates need to get approval from a leader of their community constituency to represent it. If they are the leader of their community constituency, they must get the approval of the second in charge.

It is important to note that each Community Constituency group may only have one Senator per college.

There are two ways a potential candidate can demonstrate that they have been approved to represent their Community Constituency:

  • If the leader of the intended Community Constituency is the one to submit the Endorsement Form, it is assumed they have approved the potential candidate to represent their organization.

  • If the potential candidate chooses someone else to submit the Endorsement, then they must have the leader of their Community Constituency email the Speaker of the Senate at sgaSenateSpeaker@northeastern.edu.


    The email should include the below format and content:

    • Subject: CC Approval for Candidate’s Full Name

    • Include the full name of the potential candidate

    • Include the Academic Constituency of the potential Candidate (as the leader may only approve one Candidate per Academic Constituency)

    • Include the full name of the approved Community Constituency (as listed on Engage if it is a SGA recognized student organization)

    • Include the full name of the sender (the Community Constituency leader) and their position within the Community Constituency

Campaign Process & Event 

Campaign process and regulations

Campaigning will begin on January 16th, 2026 once candidates are officially announced, and ends on January 23, 2026, when voting closes. The campaign will primarily be directed by SGA. Candidates are not allowed to conduct individual campaigning outside of the official ‘Meet the Candidates’ event or spend any personal funds on their campaign. However, candidates are allowed to advertise and promote their candidacy on social platforms. All campaign-related questions may be directed to Evan Murray, Speaker of Senate (sgaSenateSpeaker@northeastern.edu) and Sarah Masih, Director of Elections (sgaelections@northeastern.edu)

Campaign event: “Meet the candidates”

Meet the Candidates is a community engagement event where constituents can directly interact with individuals running for Senate. It is scheduled for September 15th at 6:30 PM. The event is designed to foster meaningful dialogue between voters and candidates and gives voters the opportunity to learn about policy platforms and ask questions.

The event will be set up in an open-room format, similar to a club fair, with each candidate stationed at their own booth. Attendees are free to walk around, visit candidates of their choice, and engage in conversation.

Candidates are recommended to:
• Prepare a visual presentation highlighting key policies and campaign priorities
• Be ready to answer questions about their platform, experience, and vision for their senatorship

Election process

Elections are conducted by academic colleges through the Student Hub platform. Voters will vote for senators from their home college. Voting opens at 10:00 PM on September 15th, 2026 and closes between September 22nd and September 25th, 2026. Students may vote for multiple candidates within their academic college, and the candidates with the most votes will be elected.

Each candidate will have a brief blurb on the platform to inform voters about their background and platform. Students are strongly encouraged to attend the Meet the Candidates event to learn more about those running for office. Once results are verified, they will be officially announced by September 28th, 2026.

Get more information

If you have any further questions, please reach out to the Speaker of the Senate, sgaSenateSpeaker@northeastern.edu, and the Director of Elections, sgaElections@northeastern.edu.