Your vote in this year’s Swampies is important. This year the rules are a little different: you can now cast a ballot using any of several different methods. And here’s the fun part: Votes using each method will be counted separately. Which means that if you follow the rules carefully, you can cast up to 4 votes for a single nominee! (Or split your vote, if you’re feeling a little more conflicted.)
Here’s how to make sure your votes count and count and count and count. Simply choose any or all of the following methods:
1. Vote in the comments: The story that announces the official nominees in each category also serves as its main ballot box. You can vote for a nominee in each category simply by adding your comment to the story and indicating your preference in that particular contest.
2. Vote by email: Send Swamplot an email indicating your preferences. Just make sure you specify which category you’re voting in. You can vote in each category as the official nominees for that category are announced — or you can wait until all the nominees are announced in all of the categories, so you can send a single message containing all of your votes.
3. Vote from Facebook: This method is new this year, and it’s super easy. First — if you haven’t already — become a fan of Swamplot on Facebook by clicking on the “Like” button at the top of our Facebook page. Then post your votes on our wall. Your vote might look like this, for example. “I’m voting for Bellaire for Neighborhood of the Year in the 2010 Swampies!!!” Please make it clear which category your vote is intended for, and post a separate message for each category you wish to vote in.
4. Vote on Twitter: The rules for Twitter work the same as they did last year. You’ll first need to follow Swamplot on Twitter. All votes must be addressed to Swamplot (@swamplot) and include the #swampies hashtag as well as the category you’re voting for. Make sure you’re indicating your vote clearly. For example, “@swamplot most improved Royal Oaks rocks it! #swampies” tells us you want to vote for Royal Oaks for the “Most Improved Neighborhood” category. Votes from dummy Twitter accounts that have been set up solely for the purpose of voting will not be counted. But if you aren’t on Twitter yet, it’s fine to kick off your Twittering with a vote in the Swampies.
Whichever method you use, you’ll need to wait for the official nominees to be announced in a category before you can cast your votes in that category. You’ll find all the official-nominee posts that have been published so far on this page.
We encourage you to vote using each method, but if you vote more than once for a particular category using the same method (in other words, making 3 votes on Twitter for a particular candidate), all of your votes will be disregarded. If you change your mind about a vote before the voting period ends, though, you can still change it: Write us a note referencing your original vote and indicating what changes you would like to make.
Have a favorite candidate you’d like to see win one of the awards? Why not start a campaign? Link to the awards on your blog or on Facebook; encourage others to retweet your Twitter votes; or post about them on forums you frequent. Encourage your friends to visit Swamplot and vote! And feel free to explain your vote as you cast it. If your candidate wins, we’ll include some of what its supporters had to say when we announce the results.
All votes must be submitted before 5 pm CST on Monday, December 27th. The decisions of the judges are final.
- Swamplot Awards Ballots 2010 [Swamplot]