"Since only people who nominate entries are voting, and assuming those people are going to vote for their nomination (after all, they believed it was the Chip of the Year when they nominated), wouldn't the winner of the contest most likely be the chip with the most nominations?"

When an OTY judge receives his/her ballot ... he/she picks from all the entries that have been nominated... even foreign chips are eligible. The voting is weighted. Each First Place vote receives X amount of points, each Second Place vote receives Y amount of points, each Third Place vote receives Z amount of points. What you may feel is deserving of a First Place vote ... may not neccessarily mean that other judges feel the same way. A consistent number of Second or Third Place votes can outpoint the number of votes for a First Place selection.

I don't have any idea what attractive chips have been issued in Oregon or from a Cruise Ship, or Indian casino. The selection process begins from the time the colorful illustrated pamphlet is received from Jim Follis.

As for not knowing what chips have been released ... that's a red herring. Virtually every chip issued during the course of the year is posted right here on this message board. Pick ONE chip ... ANY CHIP .... and submit it if you want to receive the election ballot. It doesn't have to be an LE chip ... it can be the ugliest chip issued.

Keep in mind ... as Chairman Follis has pointed out ... this contest isn't just about chips. It includes Silver Strikes, Tokens, Slot Cards as well.

Why not try participating this year? You may even begin to like it!