In a joint effort “to raise awareness and build excitement around the upcoming 2024 Presidential Election Student,” Mercer’s Student Government Association, Mercer Votes and the university’s Political Science Department are asking students to participate in a mock-presidential election this week, according to Assistant Director of Service and Civic Engagement Margaret Rooyakers.
The mock-election, which Rooyakers said might be the only of its kind among schools who compete in the Southern Conference voting challenge, will have online ballots which will be available from Thursday at 9 a.m. to Friday at 5 p.m. Rooyakers noted that this Friday, Oct. 25 is also the last day to request an absentee ballot in Georgia for November’s presidential election.
On the ballot for the mock-election will be questions ranging from which presidential candidate the student would vote for in November, whether the student is planning to vote in the upcoming election and other related inquiries meant to weigh Mercer students’ interest in and opinion of the 2024 presidential election.
The reason for this mock-election is not only for data collection, but also to promote civic engagement among young voters, Rooyakers said.
“As the future leaders and changemakers, students have a unique opportunity to influence policies that will shape their lives for years to come, from education reform to climate change and economic stability,” Rooyakers wrote in an email. “Voting empowers students to voice their perspectives on critical issues affecting their communities and the nation.”
After results from the mock-election are tallied and reported, Rooyakers said that Mercer students who were not planning on voting in November’s election may be prompted “to realize the importance of casting their own ballot, reinforcing that every vote matters in shaping the future.”
Macon-Bibb County has voted for the Democratic ticket in each presidential election this century, and the presence of three colleges or universities in the county - Mercer, Wesleyan College and Middle Georgia State University - plays a part in those results. However, the national race is in a dead heat with less than two weeks left until Nov. 5, according to polls listed on The New York Times.
Gabriel Kopp '26 is majoring in Journalism and Law and Public Policy at Mercer University. He has written for The Cluster since he started at Mercer, and currently works as co-Editor-in-Chief. When he isn't studying, he enjoys going for runs and reading The New York Times or the AJC while sipping coffee.