We want to thank the hundreds of readers who took the time to submit nominations for our Locals Choice Nominees section. Your submissions were used to create this ballot.

This year, the participants in the nomination portion of the Locals Choice contest almost doubled over last year. Readers are now invited to vote online to help choose the final winners, which will be announced in September.

From the beginning, it was our hope to have your favorite local businesses get recognized for the hard work they put into developing the services that keep us coming back.

Nominees were narrowed down to the top few submissions in each category to create the final ballot presented here. Readers will see many well-known local businesses. A few have built such an exceptional reputation they appear in several categories.

We hope the contest does even more than give some of Suffolk’s hardest working business people a tangible reflection of their talents and effort.

We also hope you may be reminded of some old favorites you have not visited in a while, and you find time to visit them again soon.

Likewise, in going through the ballot you may discover a few places destined to become new favorites. We hope you try some new places too.

Most of all, please help us choose the Locals Choice winners by voting!

Voting is quick and easy. Simply visit www.suffolknewsherald.com and click on the Locals Choice 2017 tab at the top of the page or on any of the Locals Choice promotional spots.

Voting is open for a limited time, so please log in as soon as you can. Winners will be announced in a special edition planned for the end of September.

Please take a few minutes to go online and enter. Your favorite local businesses need your vote.