General Rules and Terms & Conditions for the Rural Impact Awards

Nominees:
- Must be individuals, organizations, or businesses that operate within rural communities or the agriculture industry.
- For the purposes of this program, rural is defined as communities with a population of fewer than 50,000 residents based on the most recent census data or official estimates. Rural will be definined also by the current definition of "rural" by the U.S. Census Bureau.
- Specific categories may have additional eligibility criteria (e.g., age restrictions for “Rural Trailblazers Award”).
Nominators:
- Anyone can submit a nomination, including self-nominations.
- Nominators must provide accurate contact information for both themselves and the nominee.

Submission Requirements:
- Nominations must be submitted through the official nomination form on the program website during the nomination phase or via social media networks.
- Incomplete or inaccurate nominations may be disqualified.
Deadline:
- Nominations will only be accepted between the designated time period, which are due by December 15 of the given year. Late entries will not be considered. Entries submitted after December 15 may be carried over into the next calendar year awards program.
Multiple Nominations:
- Multiple nominations for the same nominee in one category are allowed but will not increase the likelihood of winning.
- Nominees may be submitted for multiple categories if they meet the criteria.

Voting Process:
- Public voting will take place from December 20 to December 31 of the calendar year.
- Votes must be submitted through the official voting platform. Duplicate or fraudulent votes will be voided.
Eligibility to Vote:
- Open to all; voters must provide valid email addresses to cast their vote.
One Vote Per Category:
- Each person can vote once per category. Systems will be in place to monitor and prevent duplicate votes from the same individual.

Determination of Winners:
- Winners will be determined by a combination of public votes (weight: 50%) and a panel of judges (weight: 50%).
- Judges’ decisions are final and binding.
Notification of Winners:
- Winners will be notified by email and announced on the awards website and social media channels.

Winners will receive:
- A custom-designed digital award.
- A feature on the awards website and social media platforms.
- Marketing grants or other prizes where applicable.
Prizes are non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash.

By submitting a nomination or casting a vote, participants grant Ranch House Designs (RHD) the right to:
- Use nominee names, photos, and descriptions in promotional materials, including social media and the awards website.
- Share content publicly to promote the awards program.

RHD reserves the right to refuse or disqualify nominations for individuals, businesses, or organizations that:

Are found violating the rules or attempting to manipulate or spam the voting process.
Include any offensive, false or plagiarized content.
Are currently involved in any legal disputes, criminal investigations, or other activities that could harm the reputation of the awards program.
Have engaged in unethical, fraudulent, or questionable practices that conflict with the values of the awards program.

RHD is not responsible for technical issues that prevent participation in nominations or voting.
RHD reserves the right to modify or cancel the awards program at any time for reasons beyond its control.

Personal information collected during the nomination and voting processes will be used solely for the purpose of the awards program.
Contact details will not be shared with third parties without consent.

All decisions regarding the interpretation of these rules are at the sole discretion of RHD.
By participating, nominators, nominees, and voters agree to abide by these rules.

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