Several members spoke out against thestipulation limiting elections to council members.

"I think the whole point of campus-wideelections is that they are about democracy," saidMarco B. Simons '97, who plans to introducelegislation to repeal that amendment next Sunday.

"Any restriction of choice is necessarilyarbitrary. Why wouldn't a House Committee Chairmake a better president than an UndergraduateCouncil representative?" he asked.

The spending cap has also been attacked byseveral council members, most notably Fine, whoargued that candidates will be unable to campaigneffectively, reducing elections to the level of"a popularity contest."

"A low spending cap creates two problems," Finesaid. "One, students who don't know anything aboutthe candidates can't make an educated vote fromone piece of paper. Two, people will be lookingfor loopholes to get around it."

At other Universities, however, spending capshave not proven a hindrance to electionprocedures. At Columbia University, for example,candidates' spending is limited to the cost of 4008x11 posters, according to Shien Chiou '96, headof the College's Elections Commissions.

Candidates continue their campaign effortsthrough such low-budget venues as e-mail andforwarding messages through phone mail, Chiousaid.

Several members of Harvard's UndergraduateCouncil have expressed concern that even with aspending cap, many students with limited budgetswill be effectively discouraged from running foroffice.

"I think there needs to be a way that cost isnot a limiting factor in running," said Carsten M.Reichel '98. "A lot of people don't realize thateven with a spending cap, $250 is enough to keeppeople from running."

According to Liston, the spending cap willprobably not exceed $200. The exact financialdetails will be worked out next Sunday, whenListon presents a by-laws package, each of whichmust be approved by a two-thirds majority ofCouncil members attending.

The Council will then vote on additional rulesand regulations, including the timing of theelections and the formation of a selectioncommission to administer the election process.

The Council's Judicial Oversight Committee willprobably merge with the Election Committee tosupervise next fall's elections, Liston said.

When told of the Council's decision, Formercouncil president Carey W. Gabay '94 expressedsurprise.

"There are still severe problems, because thepresent system forced the three D's--Debate,Discussion and Depth," he said. "I don't think youwill get that under the new system."

Gabay is certainly not unfamiliar with theprospect of popular student elections.