We’re No. 1

Friday, Sept. 29, 2006

by C. Benjamin Ford

An award like this puts a sting in the eyes of Maryland elections officials.

Maryland beat Georgia.

Unfortunately it wasn’t in football.

A North Carolina voters advocacy group gave Maryland an ‘‘Elections Lemon” award for the primary snafus.

The dubious distinction came from the North Carolina Coalition for Verified Voting, which gave the ‘‘Elections Lemon” award previously to North Carolina officials, but thought Maryland deserved it more this time because of the numerous problems across the state on Sept. 12, said coalition founder Joyce McCloy.

Georgia’s primary election received honorable mention by the North Carolina group.

‘‘It’s not that your election had problems that is so abominable,” McCloy said in a telephone interview. ‘‘It’s the head-in-the-sand response to those problems that won the award for you. It’s just outrageous.”

No word yet on whether Georgia officials are demanding a recount. Perennial election snafu powerhouse Florida was shut out in the balloting.