About Mercer Votes

Mercer Votes is a nonpartisan campus coalition created to advance Mercer University’s voter registration, education, and turnout efforts.

Our story begins with the launch of SoCon Votes, the first NCAA Division I athletic conference championship for voter participation. Since the inaugural 2016 SoCon Votes competition, Mercer has taken great strides to strengthen our institutional commitment to nonpartisan democratic engagement, including the formation of the student organization, Mobilize Mercer, and the Mercer Votes coalition, which includes students, faculty, staff, and community partners.

Mercer Votes is led by Lauren Shinholster, associate director of engaged learning; Margaret Rooyakkers, assistant director of service and civic engagement; and our Mercer Votes Democracy Fellows. The Democracy Fellows program is funded and supported by Campus Vote Project. Democracy Fellows advance nonpartisan voter engagement through voter registration, education, and mobilization. Mercer Votes is currently recruiting Democracy Fellows for the 2024-25 academic year. 

people stand behind a table that says register to vote here on the tablecloth

Our Action Plan

Every two years, we create and implement a nonpartisan democratic engagement action plan. That plan and our report from the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement show how we engage the Mercer community and our success.

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Our Partners

Mercer Votes works with the following campus and community partners.

Campus Partners

  • Student Affairs 
  • Office of Campus Life and Student Involvement 
  • Center for Engaged Learning  
  • Office of Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives
  • Office of Housing and Residence Life
  • Office of Academic and Advising Services
  • Tarver Library
  • Access and Accommodations
  • Department of Political Science
  • Student Government Association
  • College Republicans
  • Young Democrats 

 Community Partners 

  • Campus Vote Project 
  • The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge 
  • Ask Every Student 
  • Students Learn Students Vote Coalition 
  • New Georgia Project 
  • Georgia Muslim Voter Project 
  • Georgia Women (And Those Who Stand With Us) 
  • League of Women Voters 
  • Macon Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. 
  • Macon-Bibb County Board of Elections