The final votes in the rector election at one of the UK's oldest universities will be cast on Tuesday, with nominees including whistleblower Edward Snowden.
The computer analyst was nominated by a group of students at the University of Glasgow who said they had received Mr Snowden's approval through his lawyer.
Former champion cyclist Graeme Obree, author Alan Bissett and the Rev Kelvin Holdsworth are also standing in the vote which opened to students yesterday morning and closes at 4pm.
Mr Snowden became a wanted man when his leaks brought to light secret National Security Agency documents which revealed widespread US surveillance of phone and internet communications.
His passport was revoked and a warrant was issued for his arrest - for passing on classified information and theft of government property - when his leaks came to light.
He is now in Russia, which granted his temporary asylum after he fled the US.
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PhD student Chris Cassells, part of the group that nominated Mr Snowden, said: ''We got in touch through his lawyers and have been communicating through them, and he has agreed to take part and was happy to support what we're doing.
''Our position is that voting for Edward Snowden first of all shows support for his plight at the moment and it also sends a message to governments that the intrusive practices of state security are not acceptable and are not something the students of the university agree with.''
The nomination is said to have split opinion on the university campus. The group campaigning for Mr Snowden's election have complained that some posters have been torn down and cut up, and some university unions want an active rector who will be able to work on behalf of students.
The role of rector is to represent student issues to senior management at the university, but previous incumbents have been elected as political statements.
Winnie Mandela was elected in 1987 and Israeli whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu became rector in 2005 despite students knowing that neither would be able to travel to Glasgow and take up the practical role of the position.
The other three candidates in the election have been campaigning across the university campus in the west end of Glasgow as they seek support.
Obree is a former student at the university who dropped out four months into a design engineering degree. He said he will work to improve student support if elected.
"The creation of a culture of support, diversity, understanding and encouragement is what appeals to me," he said.
"A culture where wellbeing and healthy activity are seen as key components to a balanced life, a life that will enable students to build a solid base upon which they can face their own life challenges with confidence and vigour."
Bissett promised to work to improve gender equality on campus in his manifesto.
He said: "As a former tutor at Glasgow, I saw first-hand that male students were often more likely to participate in tutorials than female students.
"There's no easy way to alter this situation, but if elected rector I would want to hold discussions with academic staff and student bodies on how to change this."
Mr Holdsworth said: "Politically, I am a left-leaning liberal who is not currently aligned to any political party.
"Being an out gay man working in the church, I've developed a strong commitment to equality issues and human rights. Social media is my natural home and if elected, I will use online and digital means of communication with students as well as being a presence on campus."
Former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy currently holds the position.