Contest Details
What is the Contest Process?
The Phase Breakdown!
The program is conducted in three phases within the Contest Ballot:
1. Nomination 2. Voting 3. Finalists Announcement.
Each year, we invite readers and the local community to nominate and vote for their favorite businesses and community leaders in the region. Providing a spotlight of top businesses and leaders all year long.
Nomination Phase
Through our user-friendly digital ballot platform, participants can submit their nominations for whom they would like to see honored. If you do not see a business or community leader on the ballot, you can nominate them by writing them in. It can take up to 72 hours for the business to appear on the ballot. Users can nominate one time in each category and cannot change their nomination—please nominate carefully! The top 5 nominees with most nominations in each category will advance to the voting ballot.
Voting Phase
Once the nomination phase closes, the top five (plus any ties) nominees with most nominations in each category will advance to the voting phase. During the voting phase, users can vote once per day per category on the digital ballot.
Businesses may purchase a “text-to-vote” code for each category. Participants can submit votes using their mobile device. Users can vote once per day per category by texting the designated number with the business code provided. The top three (plus any ties) nominees with the most votes in each category will advance to being featured as this year’s final winners.
Winners Announced Phase
Our final winners are determined by the top three (plus ties) businesses and community leaders in each category from the Voting Phase. We recognize a ‘Winner’ and two ‘Favorites’ (plus ties) in each category, Top final winners are featured in a special publication published in our local newspaper and on the newspaper website, social page and email.
Did Your Business Win?
Check the contest ballot to see your business won?
Final winners can request a special certificate of achievement to display at their business, along with a complimentary promotional marketing kit to showcase their business all year and encourage the community to shop or use their services.
* There is no purchase necessary to participate.
Ensuring Fairness & Integrity
We are committed to maintaining the integrity of the program. To ensure a fair and transparent process:
- An independent administrator with no local affiliations oversees the contest.
- All nominated businesses are verified to be located within the designated region.
- Duplicate or suspicious entries are removed to maintain credibility.
- A strict voter fraud policy is enforced throughout every phase.
We’re proud to say that this year’s finalists truly reflect the voice of the local community and our readers.
Please join us in congratulating all the Winners and participants in this year’s contest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Best of FAQs
1. Why do I have to register to nominate or vote?
We require all users to register before interacting on the ballot for the first time. This ensures the process is fair and prevents people from “stuffing the ballot.” Once registered, you can come back to the ballot at any time and continue to nominate or vote. If you return using a different browser, you will be asked to enter a code that was sent to the email address provided. If you have issues participating on the ballot, contact us here.
2. Can I nominate more than once?
To keep the ballot fair, we only allow users to nominate in each category once.
3. Can I vote more than once?
Because we only allow the top 5 businesses with the most nominations into the voting round, we do allow users to vote once per 24 hours in each category during the voting phase. Once you vote in a category, a timer will appear above the category name to let you know when you can vote again.
4. Who selects the businesses that move into the voting phase?
You do! Once the nomination phase is over, we tally up the nominations in each category, and only the businesses with the most nominations move through to the voting phase.
5. What if I don’t see a business on the ballot?
If you do not see a business on the ballot during the nomination phase but they meet the requirements to be nominated in the category, you can utilize the write-in feature at the bottom of the category. Please note it can take up to 72 hours for the business name to appear on the ballot.
6. Can I change my nomination?
We do not allow users to change their nomination—please nominate carefully!
7. Do I have to register every time I come back to the ballot to nominate or vote?
Once registered, you can come back to the ballot at any time and continue to nominate or vote. If you return using a different browser, you will be asked to enter a code that was sent to the email address provided. If you have issues participating on the ballot, contact us here.
8. How are categories selected for the ballot?
Our categories are carefully chosen based on community feedback and prior year engagement.
9. Does a business have to pay to be on the ballot?
There is no purchase necessary for a business to participate on the ballot. Some businesses choose to place ads to stay top of mind during the nomination and voting phase, but this does not guarantee they will move onto the voting phase or win in their category.