We Best of the Westside FAQ
There is a lot that goes into Best of the West Side! Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions:
What is the Best of the West Side?
The Best of the West Side is a celebration of the best our region has to offer when it comes to businesses and organizations that make the West Side a better place to live.
I saw an ad about winning $100. How does that work?
As a thank you for showing some love to local businesses, you will be entered into a random sweepstakes for a chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card. All you have to do is provide correct contact info (so we can coordinate prize delivery), and you’re all set!
You must nominate in at least 20 categories to be eligible for this sweepstakes!
How does Westside Connect determine Best of the West Side winners?
You can nominate your favorites in dozens of categories through our online ballot. Write-in nominations are accepted from September 1-30, 2022 as the FIRST part of the competition.
The 5 businesses that get the most nominations in each category will advance to the SECOND part of the competition – the Final Voting Phase! Voting runs October 10-31, 2022.
The top vote-getters are the year’s Best of the West Side winners.
Why are there two rounds?
The nomination round gives more businesses an opportunity to take advantage of the audience that Best of the West Side brings.
How does the nomination round work?
From September 1-30, readers will have the chance to nominate their favorite local businesses and organizations. If you do not see your business name in a category, that means you have not been nominated yet (or nominations for you have not yet been vetted). Ask your customers to nominate you in as many categories as you feel are relevant to your business, and your business name will start to appear.
**Please note there is some lag time.**
Remember, the more nominations your business receives, the more likely you will move on to the final voting round, so keep actively soliciting nominations from your customers! A single nomination will not seal the deal! Think of it like a “primary election”!
Why isn’t my nomination on the ballot? IT’S BEEN DAYS!!!
Each write-in nomination has to be vetted by our team for accuracy (correct spelling, appropriate category, within the eligibility zone). Due to the massive amount of nominations coming in, it takes a lot of time to do that work. Rest assured, all nominations will be counted and tabulated before voting begins on October 10!
Nominations will be disqualified if the nominee does not have a physical address in one of the following cities:
- Newman
- Gustine
- Crow’s Landing
- Santa Nella
- Stevenson
If you’d like to help us out with this process, please make sure your nominations are spelled correctly, they are appropriate for the category in which you’re nominating them, and they are within the eligible area (Santa Nella to Crow’s Landing). We really appreciate your assistance! 🙂
When do nominations begin and end?
Write-in nominations begin September 1, 2022 and end September 30, 2022.
How many times can I nominate a business?
One nomination per category.
Do businesses have to pay to get on the ballot?
No way! It is 100% free to participate. We do have options to give your business more exposure, but purchasing advertising does not guarantee anything for the contest. If you are interested in getting your business logo on the ballot, you can click here to request our media kit.
What if my business category is not on the ballot?
We’d love to hear from you if you have any comments or suggestions for this inaugural ballot, including additions or modifications to our category list! This is your contest, after all! Please email those messages to promotions@209multimedia.com. Your request will be submitted to our ballot committee for consideration on this year’s ballot or a future ballot.
Do advertisers automatically win?
No! Best of the West Side results are based on our reader voting. Some winners may be advertisers or later choose to be one, but being an advertiser does not guarantee a win.
We work hard to maintain the integrity of this contest because it means so much to our community. We do NOT sell votes! Any business/nominee that is flagged for fraudulent activity will be removed from the ballot for the remainder of the 2022 campaign. Cheating will not be tolerated! (and we can tell.)
How can I promote my business to get nominations?
See our Best of the West Side nomination toolkit with flyers, graphics and marketing tips to help you spread the word.
Where is the “submit” button? How do I know my nominations counted?
There is no final “submit” button. Once you click the “NOMINATE” button and enter your email address, your choice is recorded. No further action is needed.
I’m having trouble registering. What do I do?
When you start nominating in the first category of your choice, you will be asked to fill out the registration form. When you complete this step, you will be registered and you can continue casting your votes on the ballot.
If you have trouble with that process, we would suggest trying a different browser or device.
I don’t have time to fill out the whole ballot right now. Can I come back later and do more?
Sure! As long as you’ve already registered in that round and it’s before the deadline, you can pick up where you left off. When you return to the ballot on the same device, you should be automatically logged in and able to see your previous selections. If you aren’t logged in and you know that you’ve already registered in that round, click the “Already participated in this round…” link for further instructions.
Can I continue the process on another device?
Yes. When you return to the ballot on a different device, click the “Already participated in this round…” link for further instructions.
Why do I have to make an account?
Our ballot software requires that users create an account to track your selections. This helps us guard against fraudulent voting and allows you to revisit your ballot before deadline to make changes and additional nominations. Don’t worry, there is no password needed.
How do I find out who the winners are?
Winners will be announced in a special publication in The Tuesday Review newspaper in November, and will be visible on the online ballot shortly thereafter.
