Your Quick Guide to Citywide Ballots

Best of Sumter | The Sumter Item, Sumter, SC

In the 18th year of their Readers’ Choice program, small-market paper The Sumter Item, updated their ballot with more sponsorship opportunities and saw a huge increase in engagement and revenue. They collected nearly 102,000 votes and earned $140,000 in sponsorship revenue.

Readers’ Choice | The Quad City Times, Davenport, IA

This is one example of how the excitement around ballots can live beyond just the voting phase. Citywide ballots often feature winners pages to showcase entrants who won in their respective categories. This way, your audience can reference these pages long after the end of your ballot to learn about the best of the best in your area.

Best Northwest Escapes | KING-TV, Seattle, WA

In addition to a unique ballot theme, KING-TV leveraged enhanced listings to ensure the best user experience possible. With several different categories to choose from, and thought-out descriptions for each ballot entry, this ballot was a resounding success for this Seattle station.

Best of Charleston | Charleston City Paper, Charleston, SC

A citywide ballot is the main event of the year for the Charleston City Paper. Each year, the paper picks a fun and creative theme with specially curated ballot images and promotional materials. They even capped off their ballot campaign with a special ticketed event to celebrate the winners. Read about their 2017 success story here.

There are many opportunities to capitalize on citywide ballots in your market. With all of the different possibilities at your disposal, now it’s time to boost revenue and engagement with your own unique take on a citywide ballot.