Preparations are underway for Tuesday’s elections. While the moderators prepare the ballots, the bakers prepare election treats.

THE tradition of bringing a treat to the polls dates back to colonial town meetings before the Declaration of Independence, according to state archivist Ashley Miller.

“We have a long history of town meeting days,” she explained. “And that’s part of Town Meeting Day: coming together as a community and sharing both democracy and a cupcake.”

An election cake recipe created by Ms. Sheldon was part of an exhibit Miller organized for American Archives Month. Ms. Sheldon’s identity is unknown, but her recipe was part of an exhibit on the history of democracy in New Hampshire. Other versions of this recipe, including gathering cake and the first recipe for an American election cake, appeared in the first American cookbook entitled “American Cookery”, published in 1796.

Miller explained that the original recipe was so important because it was intended to make a cake for an entire town and was popular throughout New England. However, this particular recipe has fallen out of favor.

“If you look at the recipe, it doesn’t look as good to us today. It doesn’t have as much sugar as what we’re probably used to these days – it’s dried fruit and it’s more of a bread-like consistency,” she said. “The cake is generous. »

NHPR made a version of the recipe. Before the invention of baking soda and baking powder in the mid-19th century, cooking was a tedious process. To leaven a baked good, most households grew their own wild yeast, known today as sourdough. However, cooking with a starter can take a long time because it requires a lot of time to rise.

The bread NHPR made had a crumbly consistency, something between an Irish soda bread and an Italian panettone. It has a nice citrus flavor that balances out the raisins.

Even though election cake has gone out of fashion, the tradition of bringing a small treat to the polls is still alive and well in New Hampshire. Secretary of State David Scanlan said the election is a social event as the majority of voters go to the polls in person in New Hampshire.

“You see your neighbors, colleagues and friends. You know you may not have seen one since the last election,” he said. “It’s not uncommon to see a potluck dinner served in the back room.”

This type of community gathering is common across the state. Parent-teacher association organizers and friends of library committees raise funds by selling pastries at polling stations.

For example, Andi Lantiègne of Concord said caramel rice krispy treats sold out quickly at their last bake sale. She is president of the Abbot-Downing Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization and is looking forward to fundraising again this year.

“We have a wide variety of bakers and volunteers in our community,” she said. “And they all make an incredible variety of things and specialties.”

In other polls, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and oatmeal raisin cookies are also popular. Volunteers also provide snacks to poll workers and hope these treats can remind voters of the things they have in common.

Library Director Bonnie Angulas runs the Daland Memorial Library in Mount Vernon and organizes the town’s annual bake sale. Angulas has been hosting the Election Day bake sale for as long as anyone can remember.

This year, she’s a little concerned about escalating tensions during the election and reminds volunteers to remain friendly and politically neutral.

“It’s usually very dramatic on voting day,” she said. “But I think it’s a good message to say, ‘You know what? We will all be neighbors again tomorrow.

Special thanks to Pam Schachter, who provided the leaven for NHPR’s election bread.