Ben & Jerry’s Offers Free Kamala Harris-Inspired Ice Cream in Madison

Ben & Jerry’s partners with advocacy group Pass by to bring free ice cream to Madison on October 5th as part of their “Collecting the votes” movement that aims to connect with voters ahead of the next presidential election.

MoveOn’s “Scoop the Vote” tour will stop in more than 20 cities in key states, and rallies celebrating Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz will be held in conjunction with an ice cream truck in Ann Arbor, Madison, Phoenix and Las Vegas.

MoveOn, a progressive public policy advocacy group and political action organization, supports causes such as health care reform, climate change, social justice and electoral reform.

Co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield created an ice cream truck for MoveOn to travel to key swing states as part of a campaign to register voters while also holding a raffle for their limited-edition Kamala Harris-inspired ice cream flavor.

In addition, the visit will include functionality elected officials, activists and other special guests. At each stop, MoveOn will help participants develop a plan to vote before November 5 and show them how they can help their friends and family vote.

Ben & Jerry’s will serve a variety election-themed ice cream flavors, such as “Unburdened by What has Vanilla Bean,” “Inauguration Celebration Birthday Cake,” “Fight For Our Rights Sorbet” and “MoveOn Mobilizer Milk Chocolate.”

“You can lick and say you care all you want, but if you don’t go for the big prize – register and vote – at the end of the day, all you’re going to get is a few drops on your shirt. Think big. Collect the votes.” Cohen said on MoveOn’s website.

Special edition pints of “Kamala’s Coconut Jubilee,” a coconut ice cream covered in caramel and topped with patriotic star sprinkles, will be available drawn at random online.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has been nationally recognized for its students’ voter turnout, and MoveOn hopes to continue encouraging students to vote through their tour. UW-Madison Student Voter Turnout reached 55.8% in 2022, compared to a national participation rate of 30.6%.

“For some students, the 2024 general election may be one of the first elections they vote in or the first time they vote away from home, so we’re creating a space to spark conversation and civic community over a treat,” MoveOn spokesperson Britt Jacovich told The Daily Cardinal. “We’re going beyond traditional voter outreach methods to find creative ways to connect with communities through shared experiences like going out for ice cream with a friend.”

It’s no coincidence that MoveOn’s visit to Madison will take place on the same day as the Wisconsin Badgers’ football game against the Purdue Boilermakers.

“We’re coming to Madison on game day because we know Badgers fans will be out and about and ready to party,” Jacovich said. “Ice cream is as beloved an institution as college football is in Madison, and that fits with our goal of meeting voters where they are.”