For nearly 40 years, an unusual yet beloved tradition in Ohio has captured national attention, and it involves something as sweet as cookies. Cincinnati’s Busken Bakery has once again launched its quirky “cookie poll,” where customers can ‘vote’ for their preferred presidential candidate by purchasing cookies decorated with caricatures of the contenders. While far from scientific, the bakery’s poll has successfully predicted every U.S. presidential election since 1984, missing only once—in 2020. This year, the doughy race shows Donald Trump leading Kamala Harris by a wide margin. report from The NY Post,
As of the most recent tally from Busken Bakery, Trump-themed cookies are outselling Harris-themed cookies significantly. Trump has secured about 54% of the cookie vote with 2,953 cookies sold, while Harris lags behind with 39% or 2,134 cookies. An independent ‘smiley face’ cookie, representing a neutral option for undecided voters or those simply craving a snack, has garnered 7% of the sales. With Election Day still weeks away, the cookie poll remains open, allowing more ‘votes’ to be cast.
The Busken Bakery cookie poll has grown from a local curiosity to a widely watched event, gaining national recognition for its surprising accuracy. The rules are simple: each cookie sold counts as a vote, and customers can buy as many cookies as they want, effectively “stuffing the ballot box.” Busken Bakery’s CEO, Dan Busken, explained, “We like to joke and say customers can stuff the ballot box. Our results come from our four retail stores, covering the north, south, east, and west of Cincinnati. So the votes are pretty diverse. It’s definitely interesting that in a state like Ohio, and a city like Cincinnati, we’ve had such accuracy in this cookie poll over the years.”
Ohio has long been known as a bellwether state, having predicted the winning presidential candidate in every election from 1964 until 2020. In that year, Trump won Ohio but lost the national race, marking both the bakery’s and the state’s first incorrect prediction in decades. Despite that one miss, the cookie poll remains a fun and engaging way for Ohioans to participate in the political process with a sweet twist.
Busken Bakery collaborates with local artist Jim White, who creates caricatures of each candidate, which are then transferred onto the cookies. “It’s meant to be fun,” Busken said. “Some people this year—especially more than in previous elections—have been more vocal and not so friendly about things. But we’re moving forward. We’ve done this for 40 years, and we think it’s fun.” told by CNN.
According to Busken, cookie sales have been brisk this year. “We sold a lot more in the first two weeks than we did in the last election. So I’d say cookie voter turnout has been up.” Interestingly, the bakery’s cookie poll results align with traditional polling data from Ohio, where Trump currently leads Harris by around 8 to 12 points. According to polling aggregator FiveThirtyEight, Trump has an 87% chance of winning Ohio. However, the national race remains tighter, with Harris holding a slight lead in overall polling averages.
While it’s just a lighthearted tradition, the Busken Bakery cookie poll has become a cherished part of Cincinnati’s election season, offering a tasty and playful glimpse into the political mood in Ohio. As Election Day approaches, only time will tell if the bakery’s doughy predictions will once again mirror the final result.
