It’s time to not vote for Aaron Tuttle in The Best of OKC…

12:43 PM EDT on July 26, 2016

For like five or 20 years in a row now, we've been named the Best Blog or Website (and Best Person to Follow on Social Media) in The Oklahoma Gazette's annual "Best of OKC" competition. We win this award each year because:

A) People nominate us

B) People vote for us

C) We've purchased six full-page, back cover ads in The Gazette, which according to advertising director Christy Duane, guarantees an easy victory.

Okay, I'm kidding about C. Every year the Gazette is accused by sore losers of rigging the ballot and/or providing preferential treatment to their advertisers. That's not true at all. Yes, Gazette advertisers do rig the voting and nomination process, but not with their pocketbooks or an ad buy. They do it through ballot stuffing and aggressively encouraging their friends, family and employees to vote. There's a big difference.

Voting in the Best of OKC can be a somewhat arduous process. As a result, here's a brief guide on how to vote for us, and not our litigious rival Aaron Tuttle.

Step 1: Visit BestOfOklahomaCity.com

While you're there, be sure to read the "recent" article from April 29th about tour life coming at a real cost to local artists.

Step 2: Scroll down, register and click the vote button

Yeah, they make you register. Don't worry. Your information will be stored on the Gazette's secure servers in their underground newsroom bunker. Their technology is so dated that hackers don't know what to access it.

Step 3: Vote for Us

One again, you can vote for us in two categories. They are easy to find on the first page.

3A: Best Person to Follow on Social Media

Every year we're up for this award and every year I think it's silly. As AT pointed out last year, we're not a person and should probably not be eligible in this category. That being said, look at your other options. We are by default the safe, rationale, establishment choice. The other picks are a spineless traitor, curmudgeon reporter, diabolical Facebook weatherman and something they call a Floyd Martin:

I was going to suggest you vote for us just to piss off Aaron Tuttle, but in hindsight, Floyd is probably the best choice.

3B. Best Blog or Website

The word "Best" is very subjective. I wouldn't have a problem with any of those other sites knocking us from the comfy "Best Of" perch. Well, except for Keep It Local OK. Once again, a website you visit once or twice a year to see if Iguana will still give you a free bowl of queso with the order of two entrees should not win Best Website.

Step 4: Vote in 41 other categories

The Gazette takes this stuff seriously. For your ballot to count, you have to vote in 43 total categories! I think 10 would be extreme in today's social media ADD distraction age.

Step 5: Confirm your email

Yeah, they also make you confirm your email. I think the goal of the Gazette is to get the fewest amount of votes possible.

Anyway, that's how you vote for us and not Aaron Tuttle in the Best of OKC. Please keep in mind that I won't get mad if you vote for Aaron. First of all, I'm team Ted Cruz and think you should vote for your conscience. Second, if Aaron wins that means Greg Elwell will get to interview him, which will be fun. And third, we've already purchased those expensive back page ads, so if you vote for someone else it probably doesn't matter anyway. The thing is rigged.

p.s. - Voting ends tomorrow so you better hurry!