Get ready to show your support!

Today begins the nomination period of the 2020 Times News Readers’ Choice awards. Grab a ballot in today’s paper at over 100 locations throughout the Times News coverage area, or visit www.tnonline.com/contests to cast your nominations.

There are 207 categories to choose from this year, including but not limited to auto, entertainment and sports, food, drink and home & health.

The ballot will be in today’s Times News and again be available in next Friday’s paper. The nomination phase ends July 23. After that, the voting period runs Aug. 7-31, where the top 5 businesses from each category will compete against each other.

“This is a really feel-good local event and there’s a lot to celebrate in Carbon in our surrounding counties,” said Times News Marketing Director Jennifer Rowden. “Now more than ever, we need that feeling of community and pride. That’s what Readers’ Choice does, it celebrates local businesses.”

A voter can send in a total of two paper ballots, but also has the opportunity to vote once daily online. The online interface at tnonline.com is easy to use and navigate.

“We encourage people to fill out the complete paper ballot for each category,” said Advertising Director Jennifer Benninger. “But you don’t have to. You can go in and vote for as many as you’d like.”

Last year’s competition culminated with a live event at the Times News Lehighton office to acknowledge the winners. The Times News will again be honoring the winners, but with the COVID-19 pandemic, the plans are currently unknown.

“We’re going to do our best to have some type of event that would recognize our winners,” said Rowden. “But it’s up in the air right now and we don’t know what exactly that will mean.”