:: What is the Best of the Pines?

Best of the Pines is an annual people’s choice event intended to honor Moore County as a community and to honor the businesses, individuals, organizations and ideas that make our community a better place to live.

:: When can I nominate? Where?

Best of the Pines 2019 nominations run from Sunday, July 5 to Sunday, July 26. Use the menu at the top to get to the ballot, or click here.

:: How many times can I nominate?

One nomination vote, per category, per day. There’s a lot to love about Moore County, which means there are lots of categories. And we want you to be able to vote for all your favorites, at your own pace. 

:: Do I have to nominate/vote in every category for my entry to count?

No! You can pick and choose the categories that mean the most to you. As long as you submit your email address, your entry counts.

:: How are people and places added to the ballot?

If your favorite person or business isn’t listed, no worries! You are able to write-in during the nomination period. If your business or name should be removed from a category because it does not apply, let us know by emailing us at info@bestofthepines.com. 

Write-in nominations may not be displayed immediately. So if you submit a nominee, check back the next day and it should be on the ballot for all to see — and for you to share! 

:: Can you add a category to the ballot?

Sorry, categories are set for this year. But we do want to hear your suggestions for 2020! Please tell us which categories you think we should add (or even remove) by emailing us at info@bestofthepines.com.

 

:: There’s some outdated or incorrect information on the ballot.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: info@bestofthepines.com.

:: Why hasn’t my write-in been added to ballot?

There could be a number of reasons. Here are some of the most common: 

(1) We haven’t gotten to it yet. Our small 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. Complete names and places of employment are super helpful in speeding the process along. 

(3) We noticed the nominee wasn’t in Moore County. We love our neighbors all around, but we try to draw the line at people and places with a Moore County address. Some exceptions apply.

(4) We messed up. It’s possible we made an error or there’s a glitch in the system. Reach out to us at info@bestofthepines.com, and we’ll be happy to check.

 

:: What happened to that one category from last year?

You sent us hundreds of notes during and after last year’s Best of the Pines, 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 2020 ballot. Please email those messages to info@bestofthepines.com

 

:: When will winners be announced?

A private celebration for the top 3 winners in each category will be held on Wednesday, September 18 at The Fair Barn in Pinehurst.  Awards are announced to the public in the Best of the Pines magazine, which will be available in The Pilot newspaper on Sunday, September 22, 2019. You can also stop by and pick up a copy The Pilot office on 145 W. Pennsylvania Ave. in Southern Pines. 

:: When will the Best of the Pines magazine be available?

The magazine will be available at the celebration event. And on Sunday, September 22, it will be included in subscriber copies of The Pilot. You can also stop by and pick up a copy The Pilot office on 145 W. Pennsylvania Ave. in Southern Pines. 

 

:: Can I advertise in the Best of the Pines magazine?

Yes! Please contact our sales team at info@bestofthepines.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. Free social media marketing graphics are available to download here.t