Zammit and Mack have not previously been involved with ASMSU.

Chief of Staff Kiran Samra said each candidate will have to give a five-minute speech during the next general assembly meeting Thursday, followed by a five-minute question and answer period, which will include questions formulated and agreed on by the general assembly in a closed session.

Samra said none of the other candidates will be allowed in the room during these sessions.

After each candidate goes through this process, ASMSU representatives will enter a period of voting.

Leacher described the transition ASMSU is going through as a “unique situation,” adding the student government hasn’t witnessed such a transition in a long time.

“I have so much experience already in the day to day office life and what the organization’s goals are,” said Leacher, who is a James Madison senior.

Leacher said if she is chosen, she expects a smooth transition from president to president. She said because of her experience, she would immediately be able to jump onto presidential responsibilities.

If Leacher wins the election, the student government will have another special election to choose a new vice president for governmental affairs, Samra said. The elections most likely would take place in early January.

Unlike Leacher, Zammit said he does not envision a smooth transition if he wins because he wants to dismantle the current structure of ASMSU. He said he would focus on giving the general assembly more power than the vice presidents.

“Originally, I tried to get other people to run for president,” Zammit said. He said when nobody he approached expressed interest, he decided to run himself.

Zammit said he ran for the position to spark a conversation with ASMSU and make a point to try something new.

He said he wants the student government to focus less on allocating money to projects such as a bike share program and focus more on encouraging entrepreneurial student ventures for these issues.

Zammit said he is not looking forward to or expecting to win the elections, as Leacher or McClain are likely to win.

McClain, who has been part of ASMSU for three years, said he wants to focus on constituency outreach and to reestablish ASMSU’s accountability.

“There were certain decisions that ruined the collective reputation (of ASMSU),” he said.

McClain said he is looking forward to empowering the general assembly to seek out students’ opinions and represent them, adding he is open to diverse ideas from the general assembly.

Mack, who transferred to MSU just this semester, hopes to increase student involvement at MSU by running for ASMSU president.

She wants to bring fresh ideas to ASMSU based on her experience in her previous university’s student government.