A handful of states select candidates by caucus instead of through ballots. During a caucus, voters gather at designated locations at a specific time to select the candidate of their choice. Check your local or state election website to find out if your state will be voting by caucus. 2020 caucus states include:  Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Maine and Wyoming (both parties) Nevada, Washington, and North Dakota (Democrats only) Hawaii and Kentucky (Republicans only) If your party holds primary elections by caucus, they will select caucus locations throughout your state. Visit the official state website for your party to find out where you must go to participate in a caucus.  For example, if you live in Iowa and want to participate in the Democratic caucus, visit https://iowademocrats.org/. To participate in the Republican caucus, go to https://www.iowagop.org/. Your caucus location may be different from your regular polling place (e.g., where you would go to vote in the General Presidential Election). Visit your party’s state website or go to the U.S. Vote Foundation’s website to find out when your caucus will take place. Since caucuses take the form of a large meeting rather than an individual ballot voting process that is spread out throughout the day, you’ll need to arrive at a specific time in order to participate.  For example, the 2020 Iowa Democratic and Republican caucuses both began at 7:00 PM on February 3. It’s best to arrive slightly before the designated time (e.g., 30 minutes ahead of time) so that you can check in and go to the designated area. During a typical caucus, you’ll have an opportunity to listen to the candidates or their representatives talk about the issues and their positions. Candidates who can’t be there or send representatives from their campaigns may provide pamphlets or other literature for you to look at. If you haven’t already done so, decide which candidate(s) you want to support based on the information presented at the caucus. During the caucus, you may have an opportunity to vote for your preferred candidate by straw poll, or election officials may ask you to physically move to a space that represents your favorite candidate. Follow the directions at your caucus location to determine how to cast your vote.   For example, in the Iowa Republican Caucus, caucus-goers write down their preferred candidates on a paper ballot. In the Nevada Democratic caucus, attendees are divided up into “Presidential preference groups.” Election officials then tally up the number of people in each group to determine if a candidate has enough votes to be considered “viable” (e.g., 15% or more of the votes).  If your candidate doesn’t get enough votes to be considered viable in the first round of voting, you may have an opportunity to join a different group or vote for your second choice. You can also try to convince other caucus-goers to join your group. After some caucuses, you’ll have an opportunity to stay after the votes are cast and suggest “platform planks.” If you have ideas about issues that you would like incorporated into the official state platform for your party, now is the time to introduce them.  If you prefer, you can leave after the nominating contest ends. You aren’t obligated to stay for party business.

Summary: Participate in a caucus if you live in a caucus state. Check your party’s website for your caucus location. Look up the date and time of your party’s caucus. Listen to the candidates speak or review their literature if you’re undecided. Move to your candidate’s designated space or write down your choice. Stay to participate in the party business if you like.


If you've painted the furniture, let it dry for at least 24 hours before you begin. If you're not painting it, wipe the furniture clean with warm, soapy water. Then let it dry completely. Once you've finished decoupaging the furniture, leave it to dry in a well-ventilated space. The furniture should be dry to the touch before you apply a varnish. Follow the manufacturer's instructions about drying time since they'll vary by product.

Summary: Clean and dry the furniture. Let the furniture dry for at least a 2 to 4 hours.


Your German Shepherd may have a hard time pumping blood throughout his body if his aorta is deformed. The aorta is the main artery leaving the heart. If the valve into the aorta is narrowed, as in AS, a backpressure is created in the heart making your dog work harder to circulate blood. Medication is the most common treatment for AS, which treats the irregular heart rhythm and may include antibiotics to prevent infection. Surgery is not recommended. Your German Shepherd may have a heart deformity that's causing a heart murmur or another health condition (like problems eating or with blood circulation). These deformities may include:  Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA): This is a temporary blood vessel in a fetal puppy that should close shortly after he's born. If it stays open, blood may bypass your dog's lungs. Vascular ring anomaly (also known as persistent right aortic arch): This is another blood vessel that should close before your dog is born. If it stays open after birth, the vessel traps your dog's esophagus which makes it hard for him to swallow food down into his stomach.  Mitral or tricuspid valve disease: These valves separate the heart's atria from the ventricles. If they don't fit perfectly together, then blood can leak in the wrong direction, causing a heart murmur. If your dog has abnormalities in the heart muscle itself, he may have dilated or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. With Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), the heart muscle tires and becomes baggy. With hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the heart muscle thickens, causing the chambers to get smaller and hold less blood. Treatment usually focuses on improving your dog's diet and exercise habits. Most vets don't recommend surgery unless your German Shepherd develops congestive heart failure. Older German Shepherds are prone to a vascular tumor (hemangiosarcoma) that attacks the vessels lining the heart. This tumor is the most common type in dogs and usually isn't noticed until it gets big enough to cause complications. Your dog may have abdominal swelling, irregular heartbeat, and anemia. Treatment for hemangiosarcoma is difficult. Veterinarians usually recommend chemotherapy and possibly draining the site of the tumor. Because the tumor is on the heart, treatment may only be able to add a few months to your dog's life.

Summary: Consider if your German Shepherd has aortic stenosis (AS). Think about whether or not your dog has heart defects. Think about if your dog has cardiomyopathy. Consider if your dog has a tumor.


You can hot glue or hand-sew this on. Match the width of the pompom to the width of the white trim. For example, if your trim was 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide, then your pompom should be about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide too. Use a store-bought pompom or make your own using yarn.
Summary: Add a big, white pompom to the top of the hat.