Congressional Vacancy Application

Apply for a Vacancy Appointment!

When a seat in the Student Body Congress becomes vacant before the expiration of its one-year term, Congress has the authority to appoint a replacement Representative to that seat. Any interested IU Bloomington student who is a constituent of the vacant district is encouraged to apply!

Successful applicants will be expected to commit about 3-5 hours per week to the role, including a required weekly meeting on Monday nights in the Indiana Memorial Union and another weekly meeting depending on their committee assignment.

Forty seats in Congress are elected for one-year terms. Sometimes a Representative becomes unable to serve for their entire term, and sometimes not all seats in a district get filled at the general election. As a result, there are often one or more vacancies in Congress.

Any IU Bloomington student who is a constituent of a district with a vacancy is eligible to apply for a vacancy appointment to that district. An appointee serves in Congress until the next general election, when the students of the district will vote for a new Representative. Any student in that district, including the appointee or any unsuccessful applicant for the vacancy appointment, can run in the election.

The following Congressional districts currently have one or more vacancies and are eligible for vacancy appointments (as of July 23, 2026):

• 1 Seat in the Graduate and Professional Schools (Maurer School of Law, School of Medicine, School of Optometry, and any graduate student not enrolled in any other district)
• 2 Seats in Healthcare Schools (School of Public Health, School of Nursing, and School of Social Work)
• 1 Seat in Off-Campus Housing

Congress tends to look favorably on applicants who show initiative by attending Congress's weekly Session meetings as members of the public. Attending Session as a member of the public is a great opportunity for a prospective applicant to get a sense for how Congress operates and figure out whether they are interested in becoming a Member.

Congress meets in Session every Monday night at 7:30 p.m. in the Indiana Memorial Union. Although only Members of Congress may participate in debate or cast votes during meetings, members of the public are always welcome to attend!