When they publish the award winners in the Journal, they will often give the requirements that are needed to be eligible. My biggest thing about the popularity polls is that many of the contenders are so dated and having been long since replaced in my garden by the time they are up for an award. They do give you an opportunity to write-in up to five. I just find it to be unimportant when the contenders are more or less "has beens". For an example- Undefinable has been a major player for those broken pattern stripes, but there have been some AMAZING seedlings coming from it that have surpassed it by leaps and bounds. Some are even available on Nicole's new 24's. I just don't want to vote for Undefinable when it is now replaced. I hope that doesn't sound mean, because it isn't intended that way.... My objection is that when a plant is awarded the higher honors, it implies that they are worthy of being grown, and that isn't exactly true for all plants in all regions.
I buy quite a few plants from Floyd Cove since they often have some really nice selections of more modern looking flowers. Prices for the new releases are often up there, but their older ones are more affordable. I just don't ever see where any of their plants are winning awards, and I know part of it is that they need to be nominated by the hybridizer. The plants that I might be more inclined to vote for are never eligible. I guess it has its good points and its bad points.
I am in Region 2, and we have a program called the Englerth Awards where hybridizers can enter seedlings to be planted in a special bed and are voted on by the attendees of the garden tour. The sad part is that you can only vote if you pay to be in the tour. Our club is hosting the 24 Regional coming in July if any of you want to go! I have entered five seedlings, but I have to confess that my desire for awards has decreased a great deal in my old age, and since I am not doing the tour, I won't be voting anyhow!
The determining factor was that the entries needed to be blooming later in the season for the tour, and quite a few of my better plants are mostly on the very last flowers by that time. Even if I were to win the Englerth, that doesn't mean that it was with the superior seedling from my garden- or even my favorite for that matter. It has been fun doing it though.....
Even within my own garden, some plants grow better is some locations, depending upon sun, water, soil, microclimate. The award winners are good starting points, but no guarantees. I find that our own Garden.org, with it's comments, reviews, and photos provides really valuable ideas in sorting out plants that might grow well for me. As soon as I can complete the workshops, I want to become a ADS Garden Judge. In the meantime, I try to record my plant comments when I have enough insight to provide meaningful comments.
You're not in Region 6 [TX/NM]. 
