Deadline near:

Time is running short for nominations for our yearly Best Of poll.

Only a few hours are left in the nomination portion of the Times Union Best Of 2019 poll.

We’re doing things a little differently this year in finding who is the best of the best in four overall sectors of Capital Region life: Dining Out; Goods & Services; Arts & Entertainment; and Best of the Rest.

How it works:

The nomination portion of the poll started Wednesday, Jan. 2, and will run through the end of the day Monday. For each of the open-ballot categories – nearly 100 of them – we’re asking you for your suggestions: Which of your favorite restaurants, hospitals, parks, and more do you want eligible for Best Of 2019? Write them in in each individual category, if you don’t already see it as a nominated option. You can only nominate one per category.

The top 5 winners from the nomination portion will be posted for the formal voting period, which runs from Monday, Jan. 28 though Wednesday, Feb. 6. This round will determine the final winners. Again, you can only vote for one in each category.

Votes will be calculated after that period to determine our winning list, which will be published in Upstate magazine at the end of March.

To put in your nominations and votes online, visit timesunion. com/bestof2019.