People's Choice Awards

It's that time of the year when you get to vote for the best businesses in a variety of categories in Cape Girardeau County. And despite a misprint in an earlier advertisement in the Southeast Missourian, there is still time to vote.

In addition to the personal satisfaction of supporting your local favorites, those who vote will be entered into a contest to potentially win $500 in prizes, including $100 cash, an annual subscription to the Southeast Missourian, four Missourian history books and four tickets to a Cardinals baseball game.

This year's contest rules are as follows:

You must be a least 18 years or older to enter. No purchase necessary. You may submit only one paper ballot and one online ballot. Only one vote will be allowed by computer, identified by its IP (Internet Protocol) address. Although the questionnaire must be fully completed for the entry to be eligible for the $500 in prizes, all responses will be counted in selecting the "best of ..." in each category. You may answer "I don't know" or "not applicable" and still be eligible to win the $500 in prizes. All entries must be received in our office by 5 p.m. July 8. The winner will be chosen by random drawing. The No. 1 Business Winners will be determined by the results and will be published in the Southeast Missourian in August. Contest results do not reflect the views of the Southeast Missourian.

Local businesses take your votes seriously, with many award winners often publicly displaying the recognition. So get your votes in this week as we look to celebrate the 2011 Southeast Missourian People's Choice Awards.

You can access the online ballot here: http://semissourian.com/forms/ballot