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It’s that time of year again — the time for Albert Lea Tribune readers to select their favorite businesses in the area.

Whether it’s your favorite place to buy a car, your favorite hair salon, your favorite fast food restaurant, your favorite golf course, your favorite florist or one of the many other categories in the contest, we hope you will take the time out to recognize the businesses in the community that are good at what they do.

In all, we have 59 categories we are asking readers to weigh-in on, including a new category this year called “Business You Missed the Most During COVID-19 Stay-At-Home Order.”

Paper ballots were available starting in today’s paper on Page A10 and will be in the paper for the next five Wednesdays. When filled out, they can be dropped off at the Tribune or mailed in to 808 W. Front St., Albert Lea, MN 56007. Entries must be received by July 13.

To thank participants for voicing their favorites, their names will automatically be entered into a random drawing for a $25 gift certificate each week to one of the sponsoring businesses.

In addition to paper ballots, this year people can vote online. We will share the link for that version on our Facebook page in about a week.

We have a lot of hard-working business people in Albert Lea and the surrounding area, and we hope you will help us recognize them in this fun way for making our community a better place to live and work.