Have a favorite automobile dealership? How about restaurant, or appliance store or car wash or dozens of other kinds of local businesses?

If you do, and most people do, a chance to make your preferences known is at hand in the form of The Mining Journal’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards.

This marks the eighth consecutive year the publication has coordinated this effort to recognize the best of the best in our area.

But this year, there are changes designed to make it easier for people to participate. Starting today, readers can either go to www.miningjournal.net and click the Reader’s Choice button on the left side of the page or follow the direct link to the ballot at www.surveymonkey.com/s/WNBQQX7.

Those who don’t have Internet access or would still prefer to cast a paper ballot can do so by visiting The Mining Journal’s offices in Marquette or Ishpeming. This applies to both the nomination and voting portions of the awards.

As with previous years, in the first round readers write in their favorites in several different categories. In the second round, the nominations are then winnowed down to the top three (or more if there are ties) in each category.

Readers then choose one from the multiple choice ballot that will be provided in May.

The winners are announced in June in a special section of the newspaper, as well as online.

Our area is loaded with outstanding businesses of all types. It has been and is our pleasure to recognize them.