With incumbent OUSA president Francisco Hernandez stepping down after one term, the battle is shaping up as a contest between welfare officer Ruby Sycamore-Smith and administrative vice-president Zac Gawn, with third candidate Jordan Watts an outsider.
Mr Gawn said in his election profile, published in Critic and on the OUSA's website, that students should vote for ''the lads who can bring ... scarfiedom back''.
He would push for a student bar owned by the OUSA and for the OUSA to be more inclusive.
Ms Sycamore-Smith's profile focuses on her achievements as welfare officer, which included delivering free breakfasts and $5 meals and leading negotiations with the university over establishing a student pub on campus.
She would continue to push the university for a student pub and lobby to fix the university's ''broken'' internet.
Mr Watts said the OUSA should be ''more focused on students and not politics''. The OUSA needed to build on recreation and events, which was what it was ''really good at''.
''OUSA does not need a president who only wants a good CV reference,'' he said.
Mr Hernandez, who is not allowed to back candidates, told the Otago Daily Times he was happy with the number of candidates standing for executive positions, with more competition for places than last year.
He urged students to vote because the OUSA was a ''multimillion-dollar'' organisation in charge of spending about $170 of their fees.
He was disappointed with the number of female candidates this year, saying it was possible only two would be elected on to the executive.
Voting will be held next week, from Monday until 4pm on Thursday, with results announced later that day.
The nominations are. -
President: Zac Gawn, Ruby Sycamore-Smith, Jordan Watts.
Administrative vice-president: Ryan Edgar, Paul Hunt, Kamil Saifuddin.
Finance officer: Nick Tenci.
Education officer: Thomas Mitchell, Jordan Taylor.
Welfare officer: Jenna Bone, Nali Lee, Payal Ramritu.
Postgraduate students officer: Kurt Purdon.
International students officer: Kamil Saifuddin.
Campaigns officer: Hamish Barker, Jarred Griffiths.
Recreation officer: Henri Faulkner, Daniel Stride.
Colleges officer: Brydie Ockwell.
