The student government, which funds numerous programs on campus and pockets $42 dollars of student tuition fees, started its annual election on Monday and will continue until Friday.

The ballot this semester includes 35 potential candidates and two opposing slates. Both slates have emphasized student unity, but the hot button issue is a proposal for a new Recreation and Wellness Center on campus.

The Recreation and Wellness Center is the number one priority to the current ASI board. The proposed center could become an enormous facility for recreational sports and activities on campus.

While some candidates feel it is a positive addition, others believe the center is too ambitious during the difficult economic climate.

"We support the recreation center as an idea, but not at the current time," said Cory Wong, a member of the Student Organizations and Action slate and a current board member re-running for office.

The S.O.A. will focus on the budget cuts as its number one concern, according to Wong.

"ASI doesn't have to be just about student organizations, it can also be a political force," he said.

Brooke "Wojo" Wojdynski, another member of the S.O.A., is running for Sophomore Representative and hopes to reallocate funding to make the university more efficient.

The S.O.A had made diversity a large part of its campaign. "There is such a breadth of people on the slate. We have students from foster care, gay students and all sorts of different ethnicities [on the slate]," she said.

The other group, titled "The Slate," can be seen walking around campus with bright red t-shirts. Frankie Griffen, the slates campaign manager and an incumbent board member, said "The Slate" will work together to support student wishes.

"We really want to work to put the student voice out there," he said.

Griffen said "The Slate's" motto is 'university united' and will focus on getting student feedback and advice on the proposed Recreation and Wellness Center.

Candidates have spent a lot of energy campaigning on Facebook and other resources like YouTube to make videos and fliers.

"I've never seen online campaigning for ASI on this level, said Horace Montgomery, the leadership development coordinator for ASI.

The election will be online for its second year. Students can vote by logging on to the eBallot link at http://asi.sfsu.edu.

Montgomery said online voting in the past has produced less than satisfactory results. However, he hopes it will gain energy.

Morgan Lamb, the elections commissioner, said she would ideal like to see five percent of the student body vote.

"With 100 percent of the voting online, it is really easy and quick to get your vote out there," she said.

Students running independently may have a more difficult time getting elected. Geraldo Benito Chang, a candidate for

Representative at Large, said a lack of communication from the election commissioner left him "stonewalled."

He hopes his statement on the ballot will enable students to vote for him.

"It they care for it, I will work for them, but if they're voting just for the slate thing I don't stand a chance," he said.