Who are you planning to vote for in the presidential race, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) or Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)? Well, you can cast your ballot-your cookie ballot, that is -at Goldman's Kosher Bakery, from now until Election Day, Nov. 4. Since the polls "opened" at the Pikesville bakery Sept. 5, Goldman's has made and sold more than 1,000 iced sugar cookies with scanned photos of the presidential contenders.

As of Oct. 2, Mr. Obama was winning 58-42 percent over Mr. McCain, according to the bakery's owner, Max Cohn. Since the national banking crisis and bail-out situation, he said the scale has slowly and steadily tipped toward the Democratic candidate.

This is the second time that the bakery has run a cookie poll. In the last presidential matchup between President George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), the bakery offered similar cookies bearing their countenances. (By the way, Mr. Bush won that contest, cookie-wise.) The idea of a presidential cookie contest originated several elections ago in an Ohio bakery, said Mr. Cohn. Now, a handful of bakeries participate across the nation, he said.

The Goldman's results are in line with national cookie poll results.

"Everyone can vote, even kids. You don't have to be registered," said co-owner Leah Cohn.

Mr. Cohn said even a group from Florida recently requested that he ship down several dozen cookies of both candidates to the Sunshine State. "The customers all get excited. They really do," said Ms. Cohn. "It's a lot of fun."

Presidential race cookies at Goldman's: Can Biden bonbons and Palin pastries be far behind?

PHOTO ANDY COOK

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