The Undergraduate Council announced the names of candidates running for the group's two highest offices on its Web site yesterday.

The presidential candidates are Sterling P.A. Darling '01, Ben W. Dreyfus '01, Fentrice D. Driskell '01, Frank X. Leonard '01 and Todd E. Plants '01. The vice presidential candidates are John A. Burton '01, Nehal S. Patel '02, Catherine E. Tenney '01 and Ben M. Wikler '03.

Elections will take place from Monday, Dec. 13 to Wednesday, Dec. 15 and will be coupled with a controversial referendum on an increase in the council's term bill fee from $20 to $50.

Council members say they expect the term bill fee to be a hot button issue in this year's campaign. Council President Noah Z. Seton '00 was initially reluctant to package the referendum with the election for fear that it would "politicize" the race, but he switched camps at last week's meeting.

"My initial feeling was that [the referendum] didn't need to get wrapped up in politics of the election," Seton told The Crimson, "but now I recognize that this election is going to be very much about the council in general rather than simply the candidates who are running."

As in previous years, many presidential and vice-presidential candidates have chosen to run in teams, although students will vote for each position separately. Darling is running with Patel, Driskell with Burton, Leonard with Tenney, and Plants with Wikler. Dreyfus is the only candidate running alone and the only candidate who is not currently a council member.

The candidates met with the council's Elections Commission yesterday evening to review the rules governing the election.

"We want this to be a clean and fair election," Elections Commission member David L. Levy '00 said. "We'd much rather deal with questions than complaints."