Voting for The Local Best
We believe that the value of The Local Best is largely dependent on the quality of the data we collect. Therefore, we have implemented a number of safeguards throughout the various stages of our data collection process to maximize the validity of such data. As you'll see in the answers below, our controlled voting systems and processes have been designed to produce high quality data that you can trust.
Q. Did you get enough voters to have confidence in the results?
We had over two thousand voters (2,132 to be precise) participate in this year's survey. Typical market research conducted on a market of this size would require approximately 800 respondents. We had a great voter turnout - thank you to those who participated!
Q. How do you prevent voters from casting more than one ballot each (ie, "ballot-box stuffing")?
We sent out postcards to over 65,000 Sioux Falls residential addresses asking people to vote for their favorite places. Each postcard was marked with a unique code allowing only one ballot to be opened online per postcard. These cards go out each April. Don’t remember getting a card? (see below)
Q. How did you minimize the occurrence of "random votes" (eg, random selection or first-in-list picking)?
Our survey is unaided (not multiple-choice). Voters must recall their chosen place by name in order to vote for them. This gives everyone the same opportunity to get voted as one of The Local Best. We also repeatedly encourage voters to only vote for places with which they have had positive personal experiences.
Q. Who gets to vote?
Sioux Falls residents that receive a ballot code (via postcard) in the mail. These are sent each April. Didn't receive a postcard? (see below)
Q. Why didn’t I receive a postcard with a ballot code in the mail?
Although we try to mail a postcard to every residential address in Sioux Falls, we can not guarantee that everyone will receive one. Saturation mailing lists typically provide better than 95% coverage, and we do what we can to push that number to the max. Unfortunately if you did not receive a postcard or accidently misplaced yours we will not be able to help you vote in the current poll. We just ask that you watch your mailbox again next year (April) as these lists are constantly being updated.