Southeast Kansas Defensive Player of the Year Presented by Uplink Communication: How Voting Works & How to Win

Program Overview and Organizer

Southeast Kansas Defensive Player of the Year Presented by Uplink Communication is a high school football recognition program focused on defensive standouts from schools across the southeast region of Kansas. The award operates through public voting hosted on the Crowdsignal platform at poll.fm/16407477.

The program's name indicates sponsorship by Uplink Communication, though the specific role of this sponsor in organizing, funding, or administering the award is not detailed in the page body. No independent publisher or media organization is named as the primary organizer; confirm on the live ballot each cycle.

The ballot structure presents voters with a list of nominated defensive players, each identified by name and school affiliation. This format allows community members to select from recognized athletes who have demonstrated defensive excellence during the football season.

The geographic scope covers southeast Kansas, a region that includes communities in Labette County and surrounding areas. The program's focus on defensive players complements offensive player recognition programs that may operate in the same region.

For context on how this program relates to other Kansas high school sports awards, see Catchy Awards Kansas High School Athletics and ESPN Wichita High School Athlete of the Week.

Platform and Voting Mechanics

The Southeast Kansas Defensive Player of the Year ballot operates on Crowdsignal, a polling platform accessible through poll.fm URLs. This platform provides a straightforward voting interface where visitors select from presented options and submit their choice.

The specific ballot at poll.fm/16407477 presents nominees in a standard Crowdsignal format. Voters see player names paired with school affiliations, allowing identification of local athletes. The interface includes a submit button and typically displays a confirmation message upon successful vote recording.

Crowdsignal as a platform offers various configuration options to poll creators, including vote frequency settings, IP-based restrictions, and result display options. Which of these features are activated for this specific ballot is not published in the page body; confirm on the live ballot each cycle.

The page title indicates "Poll ends 12/24," suggesting a December 24 closure date for the 2025 edition. Whether this date is fixed annually or adjusts based on the calendar year is not confirmed. The timing aligns with post-season recognition following fall football schedules.

Technical aspects of vote validation, including whether the platform employs CAPTCHA, email verification, or other anti-fraud measures, are not described in the page body. The specific restrictions and verification methods are not stated; confirm on the live ballot each cycle.

For supporters seeking to understand broader voting platform behaviors, our legal guide covers how different platforms approach vote purchasing and what organizers typically permit.

Confirmed Edition History and Recurrence

The Southeast Kansas Defensive Player of the Year Presented by Uplink Communication has confirmed edition years in 2023 and 2025. This two-year pattern indicates an established program with recurring recognition, though the specific annual schedule and continuity between years is not fully documented.

The gap between 2023 and 2025 editions raises questions about whether a 2024 edition occurred without documentation, was skipped, or operated under different parameters. Without additional source material, the program's annual regularity cannot be assumed with certainty; confirm on the live ballot each cycle.

Both confirmed editions share the December timing and Crowdsignal platform, suggesting consistent operational approach. The 2025 edition's poll ID 16407477 provides a reference point for tracking this specific ballot instance.

The program's recurrence pattern places it among Kansas high school sports recognition programs that operate on annual or near-annual cycles. Similar programs in the state include Topeka Capital-Journal Athlete of the Week and Topeka Capital-Journal High School Athlete of the Week, which also recognize student athletes through public voting.

Whether the program will continue in 2026 and beyond depends on organizer decisions, sponsor commitment, and community engagement. The confirmed history through 2025 provides a foundation for expecting continuation, but future editions require confirmation on the live ballot each cycle.

Participating Schools and Regional Scope

The Southeast Kansas Defensive Player of the Year draws nominees from high schools across the southeast region of Kansas. Confirmed school affiliations from the 2025 ballot include Labette County, Cherryvale, and Caney Valley.

Labette County represents a significant school district in the region, with the high school located in Altamont. Cherryvale and Caney Valley are smaller communities with their own school districts, reflecting the program's reach across varying district sizes in southeast Kansas.

The geographic scope implied by "Southeast Kansas" covers multiple counties potentially including Labette, Montgomery, Neosho, and surrounding areas. Whether the program's nomination net extends to all schools in this region or operates through invitation or application is not published; confirm on the live ballot each cycle.

The defensive player focus distinguishes this award from offensive player recognitions that may operate in parallel. Defensive standouts in high school football include positions such as defensive line, linebacker, and defensive back, though specific position categories are not detailed in the page body.

For comparison with other regional recognition programs, see Greater Wichita Sports Banquet Athlete of the Year, which covers a different geographic area of Kansas with broader sport inclusion.

The program's regional specificity allows for meaningful comparison among athletes from similar competitive environments, rather than pitting southeast Kansas players against those from larger metropolitan areas with different resource levels and competition structures.

Rules, Limits, and Organizer Policies

Specific rules governing the Southeast Kansas Defensive Player of the Year voting are not published in the page body. This includes nomination procedures, eligibility criteria for players, vote frequency limits, and verification requirements.

The ballot page does not display a category roster or per-supporter voting limits in the text body. The specific restrictions that may apply are not stated; confirm on the live ballot each cycle. This absence of published restrictions does not indicate their non-existence, only that they are not present in the page body.

Organizer policies regarding vote solicitation, promotional activities, and potential disqualification for rule violations are similarly undocumented. Whether the program permits active campaigning by nominees, restricts certain promotional methods, or monitors for irregular voting patterns is not stated.

The Crowdsignal platform itself provides tools for poll creators to manage vote quality, including IP logging, cookie-based tracking, and rate limiting. Which of these are deployed for this specific ballot is not published in the page body; confirm on the live ballot each cycle.

For supporters and nominees seeking clarity on permissible activities, direct contact with the organizer or careful review of any terms presented on the live ballot is recommended. The absence of published rules in the page body should not be interpreted as absence of rules.

General guidance on navigating public vote contests responsibly appears in our online voting guide, which covers ethical promotion and common platform behaviors.