The Undergraduate Student Government senate met virtually Tuesday night and heard about an expansion of the November special senate election.

During her monthly presentation to the senate, president Divya Jakatdar mentioned the USG special election scheduled for Nov. 29 and 30. Three senate seats will be open during the special election to fill seats vacated by senators Andrea Velazquez Sanchez, Jake Zober and McKayla Dorantes.

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Velazquez resigned Nov. 2 and Zober and Dorantes’ terms will end when the special election results are announced Dec. 1. Zober is resigning to study abroad and vice president Michelle Lu said she had not received a reason for the other resignations.

Chief of staff David Martinez said the special election was unprecedented and his examination of the records showed the last special election occurring in 2003. Lu said the resignations will not impact normal senate operations.

“The senate will be able to conduct business as usual because there are still seven senators still in their seats, which is quorum, the amount needed to have a senate meeting,” Lu said.

The senate also heard from Jakatdar about projects undertaken during Fall 2023. Jakatdar announced that subsidized medical supply vending machines are expected to be installed on campus by the end of the semester.

Additionally, the senate heard reports from Martinez, chief financial officer Khalil Daniels, chief programming officer Kayla Parayno, senator Julianna Melendez and Committee on Wellness Affairs chair Brianna Sanchez. The presentations included information on intersectional programming, apartment meal plan reform efforts and Wellness Week scheduled for Feb. 12 through Feb. 16.

The senate unanimously passed the budget for the spring semester. The bill had been tabled last week to allow conversations between the CFO and the Middle Eastern North African Student Assembly about MENASA’s unchanged funding for the spring. Lu said the bill passed Tuesday night was identical to the bill introduced last week.

The senate also passed a bill allocating money for a trial program to give 60 students a $50 stipend for laundry costs. The funds will be distributed in the form of WASH-Connect cards, allowing students to use washing machines in Housing.

Sanchez said the Wellness Committee hopes Housing or Student Basic Needs will adopt and expand the project.

The Wellness Committee wants to focus on students who are involved in QuestBridge, the First Generation Student Assembly, or Improving Dreams, Equality, Access, and Success at USC, a group serving undocumented students and allies. If more than 60 students who meet the eligibility requirements express interest, cards will be distributed by lottery.

“We do believe it’s best to target communities that are more high financial need and work our way through the process to get to more students and increase that scope over time,” Sanchez said.