This year's voting for Undergraduate Council representatives has begun, with more competitive races than last year.

This year, two Houses--Dudley and Cabot--fielded no candidates. All other Houses fielded more than three candidates for their available seats on the council. All first-year races were also contested. The council has fewer seats available than in past years due to a student referendum.

Last year, Dunster House fielded no candidates for the election. Four other Houses--Currier, Eliot, Leverett and Winthrop--fielded fewer than five candidates for their five or more spots.

Voting officially opened at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. It ends tomorrow at 11:59 p.m.

The plenitude of open slots in past years created little need for upperclass students to poster or consider platforms for their campaign.

But last year, students passed a referendum that slice the council's size by about half, making for a good deal more campaigning this year by both aspiring and incumbent representatives.

"This forces candidates to examine why they're running and the interests of the people they represent," said Kyle D. Hawkins '02, who serves on the council's Election Commission but is not a council member.

Though in previous years almost all campaigning took place in the Yard dorms, campaign strategies of several upperclass candidates have included good, old-fashioned door-to-door campaigning this year.