Almost 3,500 students participated in the 2006 Undergraduate Student Government (USG) elections yesterday, although the campaign expected only 2,000 students to cast ballots electing the next USG president, vice president and Senate members.

Out of the 3,420 votes in the election, 2,323 students selected Nick Stathes and Pat Daley, while 980 students voted for Kevin and Daniel Ward. About 30 of the submitted ballots were voided.

Head elections commissioner David Gelpi said he was very pleased with the voter turn out and would not compare the number of voters this year to previous years.

"Student involvement changes every year," Gelpi said.

This year the candidates had more to contend with than opposing campaigns. Last month's students voted in a referendum that asked students if they felt the proposed student advocacy group, the University Park Undergraduate Association, should replace USG.

The first referenda question administered Feb. 23, which asked students if they felt USG was an effective government, received 3,965 votes -- about 550 more than yesterday's election.

Information technology services commissioner Ricardo Torres said a smaller campaign budget for candidates was a possible factor that decreased voter turn out.

"We are pleased, considering the commission was not provided with a budget this year," he said. "All of the campaigning rested on the candidates."

In a last minute effort to attract voters, both candidates set-up early outside the HUB-Robeson Center yesterday morning. Stathes and Daley played music outside, while the Ward brothers used their family dog to attract voters.

Kathy Ward, mother of the twins, said that their dog, Kelly, drew attention because she reminded students of their animals back home.

"We are lucky to live here in town," Kathy Ward said. "It's fun for students to see a pet on campus."

Lisa Evangelista (sophomore-nursing) was also outside supporting the Wards' campaign.

Evangelasta said that students would be more likely to vote Ward and Ward because of their relaxed style of campaigning.

"Our campaign is much more laid back," she said. "The turn out has been very positive."

Sara Burns (junior-political science and history) was inside the HUB campaigning for Nick and Pat throughout the early part of the day.

"We've been here since about 9 a.m.," Burns said. "It's been going very well, people have been surprisingly responsive."

The Stathes and Daley campaign set up four laptop computers on the ground level of the HUB, while Ward and Ward had two laptops near their campaign table.

"So far, we have gotten around 70 people to vote on the computers," Burns said. "About 90 percent of the people here have voted for Nick and Pat, they haven't heard much about Ward and Ward."

Karen Vargas (junior-international politics) echoed Burns' comments.

"I voted for Nick and Pat," Vargas said. "They are clearly the only ones that are going to make a difference in the government."

Vargas also said campaigning from the Wards has been minimal compared to that of Stathes and Daley.

"I don't even know who they [Stathes and Daley] are running against," she said.

Stathes and Daley extended their campaigning all the way to East Halls in order to garner support from underclassmen.

Although some of the students did not know anything about the elections, they still felt it important to vote.

"I don't know anything about it," said Jill Baumgardner (freshman-division of undergraduate studies). "I had no idea."

Baumgardner said that although she was unaware, the presence of student advocacy on campus is necessary.

"You need a student government to get things the students need," she said. "Because they are students, they can relate to us."