The referendum for gender-inclusive pronouns in the Student Body Constitution did not pass and 20 students were elected to Student Senate Tuesday.

Student Senate President Adam Schmidt, a third-year studying civil engineering, believes turnout was a success, even if voting was impacted by adverse weather conditions from Hurricane Florence.

“I’m excited for the new senators as they transition into their roles and to see all the work they work on throughout the year,” Schmidt said. “We did have to move it because of Hurricane Florence, I think we still had good turnout and I’m really excited for the senators as they start their new jobs.”

Over 600 student votes were cast in the election, according to a presentation by the Board of Elections.

Logan Graham, a graduate student studying international studies, and Jinlong Han, a graduate student studying entomology and plant pathology both graduate students, were elected. A runoff election to be will be held Thursday between Marshall Tomat, a graduate student studying chemistry, and Alexandra Malico, a graduate student studying chemistry, to fill a final seat.

Han said he was excited to represent the voices of his peers now that he has been elected.

“My friends have issues, I’m going to represent them,” Han said.

Nine students were elected to unfilled seats representing various colleges:

College of Engineering: Samuel Brohaugh, a third-year studying civil engineering, and Garrison Seitz, a first-year in the college of engineering

College of Humanities and Social Sciences: Kat Kirby, a fourth-year studying interdisciplinary studies.

Poole College of Management: Andrew Raulynaitis, a fourth-year studying business administration, and Brendan Gallagher, a fourth-year studying business administration and marketing.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Kristina Phelps, a third-year studying agricultural education, and Nikia Gordon, a third-year studying animal science.

College of Natural Resources: Rachel Finn, a first-year studying environmental science.

College of Textiles: Margaret Monaco, a fourth-year studying textile technology.

First-year senators were also on the ballot for the fall election. First-year senate seats are open to anyone who is in their first year at NC State. Nine first-year senators were elected:

Jerush Christopher, a first-year in the college of engineering

Lindsay Gordon, a first-year studying communication

Melanie Flowers, a second-year studying communication

Erinn Foote, a first-year studying political science

Thania Menjivar, a second-year studying sociology

Mel Noonan, a first-year studying political science

Roshni Panwala, a second-year studying in the college of engineering

Charan Saravanan, a first-year studying political science

Martha Topolnitski, a first-year studying political science

One more first-year Senate seat will also be up for a runoff vote on Thursday among Simon Keller, a first-year studying political science; Austin Shirron, a first-year studying business; and Andrew Grierson, a first-year in exploratory studies.

For the referendum, 353 votes were in favor, 197 voted against, and 65 abstained. The referendum did not reach the required two-thirds yes vote from the student body needed to pass. The referendum, if it had passed, would have changed gendered pronouns in the Student Body Constitution to gender-inclusive pronouns.

Brian Garsh, coordinator of Student Involvement and Student Government advisor mentioned that the referendum’s options of yes, no and abstaining are standard.

“Mainly it stems from following Robert’s Rules of Order,” Garsh said. “SG implements those as their protocol.”

Robert’s Rules of Order is a widely used set of parliamentary procedures.

“We give people the option to abstain in case they don’t feel prepared to make a decision either way,” Schmidt said. “If you choose to abstain in the vote, your vote for the referendum was not counted; it did not count as a no and it didn’t count as a yes. If you abstain it’s as if you didn’t vote on that one item. But your vote counts on like the Senate seats or other things on the ballot that you might be able to vote for.”

Runoff voting for the graduate and first-year student senate seats will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday.