In order to provide training and initiation time for newly elected officials, the Bakersfield College Student Government Association will be holding their election process earlier this year than in previous years .

Set to be held on March 8-9, about two weeks earlier than 2010 elections, SGA President Lisa English said,”There really is more running time because we started giving the [election] packets out the first week of February.”

“Another reason why the election is early,”said English, “is so that they can go to conference and it’s more for us to teach and bond with them so that when we come back from conference, we can all work together.”

The National Center for student leadership conference will be held April 7-10 in Atlanta, Ga. and offers workshops and speakers in hopes of providing leadership skills.

“We’re going to Georgia with them to have … a training session with them there so that they can get leadership skills from the conference and in order to secure their job situation when they come in and for us to give them more training. This is the best idea we had so far,” said English.

Other changes are also being made to the election process this year. Voting will now strictly take place online through the website, Votenet.com, in which students log on using their last names and ID numbers to vote. The website will also be used throughout the year for polls concerning campus issues and concerns.

Open candidate forums will be held March 1-2 from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the main campus inside the Fireside Room, and March 3 at the Delano Campus at 5 p.m.