Homecoming events will kick off today with Homecoming Court elections and window painting.

Voting for the Homecoming Court will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and Wednesday at booths in Coleman Hall, Carman Hall and the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union walkway, Shara Koch, Homecoming Coordinator, said.

This year, about 50 candidates representing Recognized Student Organizations will be on the ballot, Koch said.

Candidates for prince and princess and king and queen must maintain a high grade point average, Carissa Brooks, elections coordinator, said. In addition, prince and princess candidates must have accumulated 30 to 59 semester hours, and king and queen candidates are required to have at least 60 hours, Brooks said.

“There’s a pretty good mixture of candidates this year,” she said.

All of the greek houses are represented along with most of the residence halls, Brooks said. The Minority Teacher Association and new organizations, such as the Latino sorority Lambda Theta Alpha, also are represented, Brooks said.

Candidates are selected by process of application, interview and election, Brooks said.

“It’s set up, so it’s not just a popular vote,” Brooks said.

She said the Homecoming Committee wants the winners to be chosen based mostly on personality.

All of the student body is encouraged to vote, but students must bring their student IDs to vote, Brooks said.

Homecoming Court winners will be announced at coronation at 8 p.m. Oct. 10 in Lantz Gymnasium, Koch said.

Window painting will take place in the residence halls and the union today and Wednesday, Koch said.

Each group will pick a theme for its painting, and the name of the organization will be on the windows, Koch said.

The paintings should be complete by Wednesday afternoon and will remain through the end of Homecoming week, Koch said.

“It’s just to make the campus more decorative and festive for Homecoming and to encourage school spirit,” Koch said.