Rules

Leader readers can vote for their favorite local businesses, organizations and attractions in the Leader’s Best of Awards contest. It’s the biggest of its kind in Jefferson County, with votes cast in 15 categories.

• Nominations starts: 03/19/2026 12:00 AM
• Nominations ends: 04/04/2026 11:59 PM
• Voting starts: 04/30/2026 12:00 AM
• Voting ends: 05/17/2026 11:59 PM

Categories:

• Arts & Entertainment
• Automotive
• Beer/Wine/Liquor
• Body & Soul
• Destinations
• Finance
• Dining Out
• Food
• Health
• Home
• Kids & Education
• Pets
• Real Estate
• Services
• Shopping

How does Best of Jefferson County work?

The contest has two phases:

• Nomination round: The contest starts with a nomination round, where readers can propose businesses, organizations and people for all of the categories. It takes only one qualified nomination for a business to move to the voting round. Readers can make as many nominations as they like.
• Voting round: This is the only voting round, and the businesses, organizations and people with the most votes in each category will be crowned Best of Jefferson County and highlighted in the winners guide. Readers can vote once in each category once a day. Readers must vote for at least 5 different categories for votes to count. 

I nominated my business, so why isn’t it showing up?

If you‘re looking at the site during the nomination period and don‘t see a business you nominated, fear not! All entries are reviewed, but in order for a nomination to show up on the site, we have to approve it manually. The good news is that your business has to be nominated only once to make it to the voting round.

How are nominations moderated?

Each nomination will be vetted for accuracy, including whether the business, organization or person is based in Jefferson County and whether the nominee is an appropriate fit for the category. Incomplete nominations will be removed. The contest is intended for locally owned and operated businesses. National and Regional chains will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

How are the winners selected?

Winners are those who receive the most voters in their category. Finalists are those who receive the second- and third-most votes in their category. If there is a tie, we will announce both as winners or finalists.

How often can I vote?

The Best of Jefferson County contest allows daily nominations but only one vote per person, per category during voting.

Can I vote from multiple email accounts?

Voting is limited to one vote per person per category. We have systems in place to detect fraudulent voting, in which case we may eliminate all of the votes cast by those voters. In extreme cases, we will remove entrants, as well. 

Why should I participate in Best of Jefferson County?

The contest is fundamentally about celebrating and supporting great Jefferson County institutions by raising their profile and helping them gain new customers.

The Leader is excited to host this contest in 2025 and in future years. The Leader has the right to add or change rules at any moment for the best of the contest.