This week Isthmus received its 2012 Wisconsin Area Music Industry award as the "People's Choice Southwest Quadrant Print/Electronic Media," an honor announced last year. It came with a letter explaining that the actual trophy (an attractive Plexiglas affair) had languished somewhere in their office, inadvertently not delivered. They apologized for the delay.
We completely understand the concept of delayed honorifics, as we engage in the practice every year. As a matter of fact, we begin the 2013 process this week. On page 27 you will find this year's version of the Madison's Favorites Poll - the Isthmus readers' choices among various local purveyors. The veteran Favorites balloteer will know that we administer the poll in June and deliver the results in August. The poll results are one of the features of the Annual Manual, this year scheduled to appear in issue 35, coming out on Aug. 29.
Though we run the ballot in the paper, we encourage you to fill it out online. You do us a favor, as it is much easier to tabulate that way, and it gives you much more flexibility. You will find the digital ballot at TheDailyPage.com/favorites.
The poll has 95 questions. You do not have to answer them all. The online ballot will allow you to return multiple times during the balloting period, retaining your previous choices, as long as you don't hit the submit button. Balloting ends on midnight, June 30. Then, voilà, two months later you find out who was chosen. It's really not complicated to do; last year 4,100 people managed the process.
The ensuing gap between voting and results gives us time to calculate, research copy about the Favorites, and take pictures, not to mention producing the rest of the magazine. The resulting package is very attractive and informative for the dedicated Madisonian. And, like our WAMI award, well worth the wait.