Mock caucus allows The Arc to select sweet candidates, learn political processes
Monday's results were rather satisfying to the taste buds.
The Arc of Story County held a mock caucus Jan. 8 involving a sweet selection of candidates — ice cream toppings.
With help from the League of Women Voters of Ames & Story County, the mock caucus gave people from The Arc a fun way to learn about the political process a week before the first-in-the-nation Iowa Caucuses on Monday, Jan. 15.
The Arc is an advocacy organization serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“This event is all about making sure that people who want to be able to caucus have that ability,” said Trica Crain, executive director of The Arc.
The League of Women Voters' Linda Hagedorn started Monday's event with a slide show and an explanation of the actual caucuses, which will be held Jan. 15 in Iowa. She told attendees who the Republican and Democratic candidates will be and explained the differences between each party’s processes.
More: The Republican caucus is set for Monday, Jan. 15. Here is what you need to know:
Using ice cream as a teaching tool
Mock caucus-goers received a bowl of vanilla ice cream and then traveled to and from toppings stations in the Annex building at Collegiate United Methodist Church.
Each topping supporter exalted what made it the best as potential voters visited the various stations,
“Sprinkles offer a diversity of colors,” Carolyn Klaus, president of the LWV, told a caucusgoer at her station. “It makes your ice cream and all of your other toppings look better and brings all of it together.”
Then came the tasting and voting stages.
More: Story County's Democratic caucus will be held Monday at the Ames High School
Determining a tasty winner
Caucusgoers chose a winner among chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, whipped cream, strawberries and sprinkles. Each person picked their favorite and marked it on a paper ballot.
The winners tickled even the savviest of taste buds.
Caramel syrup secured the most caucus votes, followed by chocolate syrup and whipped cream. Strawberries and sprinkles tied for last place.
Voter registration forms were on hand for Arc members interested in attending a caucus Monday and voting in the Nov. 5 election.
The actual caucuses will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, with the Republicans caucusing at the Ames Middle School and Democrats at the Ames High School.
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Ronna Faaborg is a reporter for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at rlawless@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Sundae caucus determines ice cream winner in sweet battle
