Keep the 'Readers' Choice' Poll on the Up-and-Up

We're getting tremendous feedback from our Patch users about our "Readers' Choice" series. In some cases, we appear to be getting too much feedback.

We sincerely believe that these polls, unscientific as they may be, provide a fun snapshot into the habits of your town. We also know that it's a huge feather in the cap of local business owners to see their loyal customers reward their years of service and attention to detail with an overwhelming show of support. 

That said, we're also learning that sometimes people are compelled to provide excessive shows of support. So, we want to remind you that we need everyone to play fair. This isn't like the old Chicago political machine's motto: "Vote Early, Vote Often", so play fairly. DO NOT STUFF THE BALLOT BOXES.

We appreciate how much these staples of your community mean to you, but we don't appreciate anyone who wants to cheat. Please respect the spirit of the competition. Don't keep casting votes to skew the results. Don't make us chase the IP address from your computer to prevent you from casting too many ballots.

Most importantly, don't force us to rescind the honor for a "Readers' Choice" winner who claimed the top spot because someone decided to cheat. Keep it clean, folks, and we'll have a great time getting to know a few of our favorite things all over town.