Best of the Inland Empire (Press-Enterprise): How Voting Works & How to Win

What is the Best of the Inland Empire and who runs it?

The Best of the Inland Empire is a reader-voted business ballot run by The Press-Enterprise, a California newspaper serving the Inland Empire region. Readers vote for their favorite places to shop, dine, play and do business in that market, and the results are printed and posted in the organizer's online edition.

The organizer's own site is listed as the platform, and the voting link on this page points to the Issuu flipbook of the September 2025 edition. The ballot sits in the business and best-of vertical, so it is grouped with other Best of programmes covered on this site, including Best of Marin and Best of Orange County. Its market is the Inland Empire, and Riverside is the metro used for local listings.

Which editions are confirmed and when does the window fall?

Confirmed editions exist for 2024 and 2025, and the 2025 edition is tied to a September window shown on its flipbook. The month is the only window proven so far, and the flipbook gives no opening or closing day, so confirm on the live ballot each cycle.

Because both 2024 and 2025 are confirmed, the program is treated as annual. No window has been confirmed for 2026, and the organizer has not announced one in the material behind this page, which leaves the next timing open until a new flipbook appears.

How does a reader vote in this ballot today?

A reader opens the flipbook, scans the business listings for the Inland Empire, and chooses the places they want to support. The ballot is a reader vote: the results printed in the edition come from those readers, not from a jury, a panel or an editorial pick.

Business categories are not listed for this ballot, and no vote cap or eligibility rule is stated for Inland Empire businesses. A reader who wants to know whether a given business qualifies should look for the rules printed in the current edition rather than rely on older flipbooks.

Because the flipbook is the voting destination, the ballot is easiest to follow from the latest edition rather than from older links that may point to a closed window. Only the September 2025 flipbook is linked from this page, so a reader who is looking for the 2024 edition will need to find its own printed window separately before assuming it is still open.

How does this ballot sit beside its neighbours?

This Inland Empire ballot is one of several Best of programmes on this site, and it differs from them mainly by market. Its neighbours cover other parts of California, each with its own market and its own edition timing, such as Best of Central Valley Business, Best of Silicon Valley and Best of San Diego and Best Restaurants.

The 2024 GGBR Calendar Contest is a different kind of ballot, aimed at a calendar rather than a business directory, so it is listed beside this one for comparison only. A reader choosing between these ballots should compare their edition windows first, because each one is judged on its own dates. Readers comparing the two should note that the Press-Enterprise ballot is tied to a newspaper and to the Inland Empire market.

How can a business strengthen support in this ballot?

A business that wants more readers to vote for it can start with the people who already know it. Customers, staff and regular readers of the paper are the most direct route, and a short message with the flipbook link gives them what they need to take part.

Support on this ballot comes from readers choosing a favorite, so the best effort is honest outreach in the business's own voice. Outside help for this ballot has no published rule, so nothing here promises a result. For practical outreach ideas that stay within a reader's own effort, see the guide to getting more votes online.