Last night the Undergraduate Council began consideration of a constitutional amendment that would move its presidential elections from December to April.

Under the amendment's current form, presidential elections will be held this year in December. Then, after the president had served a term lasting only the spring semester and the summer, presidential elections would be held again in October, at the time as elections for councilrepresentatives.

Presidential elections would be held again inApril of that year, and held in April of everysubsequent year.

At a roll call vote at the end of last night'smeeting, 28 representatives voted for the bill, 15voted against it, 10 abstained and 23 were absent.

Absent or abstaining members will have one weekto vote on the amendment by e-mail.

Constitutional amendments require a two-thirdsmajority to pass. Approximately 65 percent ofthose who voted yes or no at last night's meetingvoted in favor of the resolution.

Supporters of the amendment, which was proposedby Council President Beth A. Stewart '00, said thebill would make the council reader and a betternegotiator with the administration.

Stewart said it was hard for her to assumeleadership of the council at the beginning of herterm last December, since council members wereused to being led by Lamelle D. Rawlins '99, thelast council president, who had a differentagenda.

Rawlins focused on campus activism, WhiteStewart prioritized student services over what shetermed a politicized council.

Stewart also said the University administrationoperates on a schedule based on the school year,and that it undermines the council's negotiatingpower to have a new student leader bring up a newagenda midway through the year.

"The best way to work with Faculty willtranslate into the best way to help students, "shesaid.

Other supporters of the amendment used otherschools' policies as support for their ideas.

"Why would high schools across America do it,Why would other colleges do it doesn't makesense?" said Chad A. Washington '00.

But opponents of the amendment said that sinceelections for the presidency would be held inApril, first-years would spend and entire yearunder the leadership of a president who they hadnot elected.

"We can't put the effectiveness of thepresidency in front of the degree to which thepresidency is representative. That's not goodgovernment," said Shai M. Sachs '01.

Others questioned whether the amendment wasreally the sort of change their constituentswanted.