POLAND – The temperature had dropped to the teens Sunday afternoon, and a strong wind whipped up newly fallen snow. A good day to stay home, right?

Sandra Knowles disagreed. Sunday was her chance to voice her opinion on the Democratic presidential candidates. Now, Knowles will have a little louder voice as a Poland delegate to the state convention in May.

“This was a lot of fun,” Knowles said. “It was my chance to speak.”

Campaign literature, posters, buttons and stickers found on tables and sweaters gave no doubt that this was a presidential election year. For nearly two hours, 40 party faithfuls in Poland tried to garner support for their respective candidates. Even after the votes were tallied and people bundled back up in their coats and gloves, the lobbying for different candidates continued as they left Poland Community School.

Knowles is one of 11 delegates from Poland to decide the Democratic nominee for Maine. Knowles helped sway enough people to garner two delegates for Dr. Howard Dean. Caucus convener and chair Leo Ferland seemed to linger with satisfaction when he announced that U.S. Sen. John Kerry’s camp had enough for five delegates.

“Your voice is showing bias, Leo,” Sue Ellis chanted good-naturedly from the Dean circle.

And while no one attended Sunday to speak up for Wesley Clark, enough absentee ballots came in to award him one delegate from Poland. One also went to John Edwards. Only Al Sharpton did not receive any delegates.

The friendly political banter turned momentarily testy a couple of times Sunday when offense was taken when candidate supporters cracked jokes. But someone was always ready with a reminder that they were all here for the same reason, which was to oust President Bush.

The last time Democrats held a caucus in Poland, about 15 participated, said Ferland.

“I think today’s attendance really shows that voters are dissatisfied with the direction our country is going,” Ferland said. “It shows that we want a change.”

Kim Moody stayed out of the groups selecting delegates but was a target of several trying to win her over to their sides and gain just one more delegate. Having already contributed money to Dean’s and Kerry’s campaigns, Moody said Sunday’s caucus convinced her to support Kucinich.

“They said some things that I had not heard before,” Moody said. “I think the party needs to pull to the left more.”