The polls must go on for ASMSU elections, which began today at 7 a.m. after technical troubles and paperwork confusion.

Last spring, about 15 percent of undergraduate students participated in the election - the highest voter turnout ever.

To continue to improve participation, members of MSU's undergraduate student government have been working this week to increase awareness of the elections.

Director of Constituent Activism Dave Whitehurst didn't begin heavy promotions of the elections until Sunday. That partly was because the organization didn't confirm whether the election Web site, www.student-elections.msu.edu, would work until the end of last week, Academic Assembly chairperson Jared English said.

But a more important reason for the later promotion is based on university culture, Whitehurst said.

"It's all been in the works for a while," he said. "We've waited mainly because the student body has a short attention span."

Whitehurst said he mostly has utilized fliers and messages to university listservs to promote the elections.

By logging onto the Web site, students can vote for their college representatives.

If they live in the dorms, they also can vote on a Residence Halls Association referendum that increases the RHA tax from $21 to $22.

Graduate students can vote on Council for Graduate Students issues at the same site.

Additionally, ASMSU is sponsoring a Battle of the Bands tonight.

Attendees will be able to vote in the elections at the 8 p.m. concert in the Union Ballroom.

For more information, visit asmsu.msu.edu