The Undergraduate Student Government Elections Commission has had its share of difficulties, but many of those involved agree that things are running smoothly for USG elections this year.

Scott Payne, head elections commissioner and Association of Residence Hall Students president, said things are "running on track," and the primary concern for this week was getting the candidates registered.

The biggest problem was when stamps weren't ready for the first stamping session, Payne said. Candidates are required to have all campaign literature stamped by the commission before distributing it, but the stamps, ordered from Kinko's, 321R E. Beaver Ave., weren't ready in time, he said. The stamping session went on as scheduled.

USG President Chris Saunders said elections are going "pretty well so far," adding, "No one's ever happy with the way elections work."

The commission this year includes Payne, ARHS Vice President Jim Stephens, USG South Halls Senator Jitu Modi and ARHS Representative Andrew Coonradt.

The commission also had problems with the packets the candidates had to sign out before registering. The packets were supposed to include the elections code, but the code was not passed by the USG Senate and Supreme Court in time, Payne said.

Candidates received the code at different times before the packet had to be returned, he said, adding that USG restructuring efforts "put a cog in the wheel as to what was going to be passed as a code."

Student leaders are working to restructure USG into a new student government called the Penn State Student Association (PSA). Although PSA is near completion, some organizations involved said it should not be pushed through before elections.

The PSA constitution is now being reviewed by the USG Academic Assembly. The USG Senate and Supreme Court must also review and approve it.

Carina Defferrire, USG presidential candidate, said not having the code did not bother her.

"Eventually everybody got it, so it wasn't a big problem," she said. "(The commission) has been great answering questions and has been very efficient."

Mike King, presidential candidate and USG Senate president, said being a commissioner is difficult. He has found the elections commissioners to be "very approachable" and available on a daily basis.

"The commissioners are doing the best they can to run fair elections," he said.

But Erich May, USG presidential candidate and former Academic Assembly president, said although the commission has good intentions, it has had problems with the missing stamps and meetings starting late.

"People who enforce policy and demand strict behavior should probably behave professionally themselves," May said, adding that he doesn't think a better commission could have been chosen, "but it may be too soon to say."

USG Presidential Candidate Matt Thomas has found communication with the commissioners difficult. He said it has been hard to get in touch with them because there are only a few. Getting information has been a problem, he added.

Payne said he gives the candidates credit, because so far there have been no elections code violations.

"Maybe this year will be a record clean election," he added.