Nominations for Simply the Best 2026 begin January 1, 2026 and continue until February 20, 2026. While this is our 29th year of Simply the Best competition, we know that for some it’s their first year. And so we’d like to address some frequently asked questions about the nomination period.
How does Simply the Best Work?
Simply the Best is a Readers’ Poll. During the nomination period, people can nominate one business per category per day. After the nomination period is over, the nominations are reviewed. The Top 5 businesses who are eligible for that category are selected for the voting period, which begins April 15, where they will compete for the title of Simply the Best. During the voting period, people can vote once per category.
What do you mean by “eligible”?
Businesses must meet the definition for the category to participate. Our definitions aren’t complex, just the opposite. They are usually quite simple and determined by a Google search for that term. Because if people don’t understand what a category is, they won’t nominate the right businesses for it.
Many of our categories are defined by “east” or “west,” which means east or west of the Susquehanna River. Some categories are defined by exclusion. For example, “Home Improvement (w/o a category) is a business that provides home improvement services that doesn’t have it’s own category on the ballot. This allows niche businesses that don’t have their own category have the opportunity to participate in the ballot.
REGISTRATION QUESTIONS
Why do you require businesses to register?
We ask businesses to register for two main reasons. First, we only want businesses to compete if they want to. Second, it makes it easier for us to contact all the winners. With about 5 nominees and 250 categories, we have about 1000+ businesses nominated. . . and less than 10 employees. Notifying all these businesses is time-consuming. Having up-to-date contact information speeds this process up.
I would register, but I don’t want to get a bunch of spam emails and phone calls.
We agree. Which is why we are don’t share your information with any outside companies. We only contact you about Simply the Best. We promise.
What if my business address is private?
If you wish to keep your business address private, that is fine. We have a spot on our registration where you can specify that. We will need to attach a city to your business name on the ballot in order for it to appear on our dropdown. Providing us with an address ensures that your business is located within 60 miles of Harrisburg, which is required to be eligible.
BALLOT QUESTIONS
Why isn’t my business showing up on the dropdown on the ballot? I registered!
Registration doesn’t affect the ballot. The names that appear on the dropdown are based on our previous ballots and a business must be connected to a street address. Usually, this is updated once someone submits your name through Google. You do this by clicking on “Not seeing your location? Click here for more suggestions.” Then select your business.
My business is showing up twice in the dropdown! How do I fix this?
Some businesses show up twice because our system doesn’t always recognize the same. And minor differences can confuse it. For example, it doesn’t always understand that Darwins Shoe Store and Darwin’s Shoe Store are the same location. Also, if a store is called D & O Shoes, it will see D and O shoes as being different.
But don’t worry. We do merge votes for the same location. Our system will flag locations it believes may be the same, and then we manually review it. When you see this, please let us know using this form.
My business shows the wrong address. How do I fix?
On the ballot, we will have a link where you can submit this problem. It means at somepoint the address and the name were connected. And we have to go back and find it to fix it. When you see this, please let us know using this form.
Why do I not see any dropdown for the ballot?
The dropdown list won’t show until you have logged in. If you have participated in Simply the Best in the past, you can click on the “Already Entered?” button in the top right. If you haven’t participated, you will need to submit at least one nomination and register before it will appear.
How do I know my nomination was submitted?
If you have submitted a nomination for that category, you should see a screen similar to this one. If you don’t see it, and you still have the option to submit something, your nomination did not go through for that day. (Remember, you can nominate once per day per category.) If the name is grayed out and you see a red continue button, it means you already submitted that nomination for that category. Log out and log back in for confirmation.
Why don’t you have a category for ____________?
Unfortunately, we have a limit of categories that we can have. Not only because we can only manage so many, but also because people will only vote in so many. Each year we try to add additional categories in different areas, which means we have to cut the categories that aren’t popular. And we try to have a few “catch-all” categories. And often we develp new categories based on what is being nominated in those categories.
VOTING QUESTIONS
How often can I vote?
You can vote once per category during the voting period (April 15-June 15). This is a change from the nomination period, when you can vote once per day.
Can I use more than one email to participate?
No. You are limited to one email address. We want the top nominees and winners to be based on the number of people who believe they are the best. It’s not about who can use the most email addresses to submit votes.
NOMINATION QUESTIONS
How do I nominate a business or individual?
During the nomination period (January 1 through February 20), submit their name in a category they qualify for. Check out this page for more detailed instructions.
How often can I nominate a business?
You can nominate one business per category per day. Please note, that this changes during the voting period and you can only vote once per category.
ADVERTISING QUESTIONS
Do I have to advertise to participate in Simply the Best?
Yes and no. You are not required to advertise with Harrisburg Magazine to participate. However, if you don’t do any promotion during the nomination period, it can be very difficult to get enough nominations to make it to the next round. Remember, only the top five businesses in each category will make it through to the voting round. And many of the categories are very competitive. We recommend anyone serious about participating advertise in our magazine, on the ballot, on social media and any other method they can. Get your customers, friends and family all to nominate you.
If I agree to advertise in the magazine, am I guaranteed to get nominated?
No. Advertising in our magazine helps remind our readers–who have been participating in the competiton for years–to nominate you. But we don’t control the nominations. The third-party company we use to manage the ballot doesn’t see who advertised and who didn’t. It only sees how many nominations/votes they got.
OTHER QUESTIONS
I noticed a business is offering a chance to win an item to get people to nominate/vote for them. Is this legal?
We are aware that some businesses offer incentives like a gift certificate if you show that you nominated/voted for them. We don’t encourage this practice, but we also don’t encourage it. It’s also important to know that during the voting period, you are allowed to change your vote at any time. So that screenshot you provided that shows they voted for them may not actually reflect how the person voted.
