CHELSEA -- Some people vote for candidates and referendums.

But over at Chelsea Elementary School, food made the ballot.

All last week, students entered the polling place and voted for what they wanted to see on the school lunch menu.

Principal Andrew Doiron said the school worked with Town Office staff to teach the students about the polling process. Students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades were taught the procedure and about absentee ballots.

Then, they went over to the Town Office next to the school -- which serves as the town polling place -- and voted.

"The third grade took a different approach," Doiron said Monday. "They contacted the Town Office and were allowed to go over to the voting booths and learn the procedure, but then they brainstormed as a group and came up with voting for what they would like to have for lunch on Friday."

He said they chose three political groups: the Chocolates, the Chillin' Party and the Goodies.

They created speeches to promote their favorite lunch items and why students should vote for them. They also made campaign buttons and took turns checking off names from the voting lists at the polls to make sure they were residents.

"They're actually tallying the votes today," he said. "I know one of the final choices was ice cream. So we'll make that happen on a special Friday and work with the PTA (Parent Teacher Association). I don't know if we can have that every Friday, but obviously we want to make the kids understand we respect what they did and reward them in this way."

"Anytime the town and school can work together, it's great," he said. "That's what it's supposed to be about: working in collaboration with the kids and citizens."

Stacy DelGallo, third-grade teacher, said the teachers tried to set up the voting so it would approximate what was going on in the presidential election.

"We had the kids tally up the votes today and it was chocolate pie 13 votes, brownies had 35 (votes) and ice cream had 76," DelGallo said. "We're going to try for this Friday to have ice cream during lunch."

Mechele Cooper -- 623-3811, Ext. 408

mcooper@centralmaine.com