FAQ
Best of Lawrence is conducted by the Lawrence Journal-World and Sunflower Publishing. Have questions not answered below? Email us at feedback@bestoflawrence.com
The Nominations
What: Now’s the time to get your name on the ballot! – If your business or name should be removed from the ballot, please let us know by emailing feedback@bestoflawrence.com.
When: Monday, April 22 – Friday, April 26
Where: BestofLawrence.com
Questions: Contact feedback@bestoflawrence.com
The Ballot Guide
What: There’s a lot to love about Lawrence so we have created a Ballot Guide that includes a list of all of the nominees that will be going head-to-head for the Best of Lawrence title. See the 2023 Ballot Guide HERE
When: In the Journal-World on Sunday, June 2 and available for pick up at the Journal-World office starting Monday, June 3.
Where: Also available for pick up at other locations around Lawrence.
Who can advertise: Anyone! Placing an ad isn’t dependent on the ballot and won’t affect the results.
How to place an ad: Contact ads@bestoflawrence.com
The Voting
When: 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, June 2 to Saturday, June 8 at 11:59 p.m.
Where: Right here, on BestofLawrence.com.
How: One vote per category, per day. (see our FAQ below for more)
Who: Everyone who received at least one nomination in April (and fits the category) will be included on the ballot.
The Event
What: The big reveal of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners from Best of Lawrence voting. Not on the ballot? Not a problem! Everyone’s invited!
When: Wednesday, August 28 4:30-6:30 PM at Abe & Jake’s Landing, Doors open at 4.
Tickets & Tables: Available soon!
*Each business, person or group in the Top 5 is eligible for one ticket. After the top 5 is announced, look back here for a link to a form to fill out to claim your free ticket.
Questions: Contact feedback@bestoflawrence.com.
The Magazine
What: A big, beautiful magazine full of the results from voting, along with exclusive special features about your favorite Lawrence people and places.
When: In the Journal-World on Sunday, September 1 and available for pick up at the Journal-World office starting Tuesday, September 3. (LJW office closed Monday, September 2 for the Labor Day holiday.)
Where: Also available for pick up at other locations around Lawrence.
Who can advertise: Anyone! Placing an ad isn’t dependent on the ballot and won’t affect the results.
How to place an ad: Contact ads@bestoflawrence.com.
Best of Lawrence 2024: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Best of Lawrence?
Best of Lawrence is an annual people’s choice event intended to honor Lawrence as a community and to honor the businesses, individuals, organizations and ideas that make our community a better place to live.
How are people and places added to the ballot?
During the Nominations Round held April 22 through 26. Like last year we’ve used most of final ballot from 2023 to pre-seed the nominations. Some categories have been reset – like New Business and New Restaurant. If your favorite person or business isn’t listed, make sure to write in your nomination during the Nominations Round. If your business or name should be removed from a category, let us know by emailing us at feedback@bestoflawrence.com.
Nominations will only be accepted during the Nomination Round, so be sure to check to make sure your favorites are listed on BestofLawrence.com April 22 through 28. The good news is your business only has to be nominated once to make it on the ballot, assuming it met the guidelines. And if it did meet the guidelines, it does not matter if it showed up on the site during the nomination period.
(Oh, and although we get a kick out of seeing Allen Fieldhouse submitted for “Best Place of Worship,” our team will only approve relevant entries.)
When can I vote? Where?
Best of Lawrence 2024 voting runs from 12:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 2 to 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, June 8. Votes are only accepted through the ballot on BestofLawrence.com.
How many times can I vote?
One vote, per person, per category, per day because daily voting rewards those entrants with passionate supporters.
Are there any new categories for 2024?
Yes! A few categories are new or have been revised for this year.
Community:
- Teacher-PreK
Food & Dining:
- Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt
Health & Fitness:
- Optician
Shopping:
- Smoke Shop
- Farm/Lawn Equipment
Can you add a category to the ballot?
Sorry, categories are set for this year. But we do want to hear your suggestions for 2025! Please tell us which categories you think we should add (or even remove) by emailing us at feedback@bestoflawrence.com.
There’s some outdated or incorrect information in the nominations or ballot. Can you fix that?
Uh-oh. Yes! We tried to double-check everything, but mistakes still happen. Please tell us what’s wrong, then point us to the correct info, and we’ll get it fixed: feedback@bestoflawrence.com.
Why hasn’t my write-in been added to the nominations?
There could be a number of reasons. Here are some of the most common:
(1) We haven’t gotten to it yet. Our team is working around the clock, but there are thousands of submissions to sort through, and unfortunately, that takes some time.
(2) There was incomplete information. First and last name and places of employment are required to make it onto the ballot for relevant categories.
(3) We noticed the nominee wasn’t in Lawrence. We love our neighbors in northeast Kansas, but we’ve had to draw the line at people and places with a Lawrence address. If your business doesn’t have an address, a majority of your business must be done in Lawrence in order to be on the ballot.
(4) We messed up. It’s possible we made an error or there’s a glitch in the system. Reach out to us at feedback@bestoflawrence.com.
What guidelines are used to determine whether a nomination qualifies for the ballot?
Before nominations and voting rounds open, we do our best to vet all entrants.
Here are the guidelines we use:
- Nominated businesses must have a location in Lawrence.
- We reserve the right to disqualify a business or organization from a category that does not represent a significant focus of its activities.
- Nominations for categories for individuals, like Best Barista, must include the nominee’s first and last name AND place of business.
Application of our criteria is not an exact science. Our vetting team uses their best judgement; if you think we’ve made an error, please email feedback@bestoflawrence.com.
Can I write in a Journal-World or Sunflower Publishing employee for a category?
Sorry, no. While we’d be flattered, our employees aren’t eligible for Best of Lawrence recognition. The Journal-World and Sunflower Publishing advertising departments administer the Best of Lawrence contest in a manner that avoids actual or perceived conflicts of interest. As a result, Journal-World and Sunflower Publishing employees are not eligible to participate in the contest, and for the same reasons, direct competitors also are not eligible.
My business was nominated, and I saw it on the website during the nomination period, but it is not showing up in the voting round. Why?
See our guidelines above. After nominations close and before voting opens, our team does its best to vet all nominees. While your business may have appeared during the nomination period, our team may have determined it was ineligible for the voting round.
What happened to that one category from last year?
You sent us hundreds of notes during and after last year’s Best of Lawrence, and we used that feedback to create this year’s ballot. So some categories have been expanded. Others have been tweaked for clarity. And a couple were put on the shelf. We did our best to consider the impact of these changes, but we’d like to hear from you if you have comments or suggestions for the 2025 ballot. Please email those messages to feedback@bestoflawrence.com.
When will winners be announced?
At the Best of Lawrence Winners Bash on Wednesday, August 28. Stay tuned to BestofLawrence.com or follow on Facebook for more details.
When will the Best of Lawrence magazine be available?
The magazine will be included in subscriber copies of the Lawrence Journal-World on Sunday, September 1. After that, you can pick up a copy at several locations around town, as well as our offices at 1035 N. Third St., Suite 101-B, in North Lawrence during regular business hours.
Can I advertise in the Best of Lawrence publications?
Yes! Please contact our sales team at ads@bestoflawrence.com. Placing an ad will not influence the results of the voting.
Do you have any materials to help nominees promote themselves?
We sure do. Logos to use in your own promotions can be found HERE
Where can I find previous years results or magazine?
All of the results:
Magazines:
If you’re looking for results or the magazine for other years, shoot us an email at feedback@bestoflawrence.com It might take a little digging, but we should be able to find what you’re looking for.
Best of Lawrence 2024: Privacy Statement
The Lawrence Journal-World hosts Best of Lawrence on a web platform that uses industry standard security. By registering to vote in Best of Lawrence, you agree to receive email notifications with updates and announcements about Best of Lawrence. You may opt out at anytime by clicking “Unsubscribe” at the bottom of an email, or by contacting info@bestoflawrence.com. To receive other email notifications from the Journal-World, users must opt in to specific questions like “Yes, email me special announcements from LJWorld.com, including events and contests.” Your specific user data is used only by the Journal-World for purposes of account management and is never transferred or sold to advertisers. Any promotions on behalf of advertisers will be sent by Journal-World staff through the Journal-World’s own platform. Within the Journal-World, direct access to user data is limited, and identifiable user information and voting history is not accessible by the sales or reporting staff. If you would like to delete your user data or opt out of specific emails or promotions, please contact info@bestoflawrence.com.