Voting for 2026 Eagle Choice Awards nears end

For the 12th consecutive year, The Windham Eagle newspaper is sponsoring the Eagle Choice Awards, and the popularity of the annual competition continues to grow.

Last year's Eagle Choice Award recipients gather during an
event at Eric's Church in Windham to celebrate their
achievement and thank the community for their support.
FILE PHOTO
 

Voting opened July 1 and continues through 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, July 22, with the winners to be recognized in August.

Launched in 2015, the Eagle Choice Awards recognize local businesses in the area through popular vote. This honor is evidence that residents take notice when they receive outstanding service and find superior products offered by local merchants.

Melissa Carter, advertising director for The Windham Eagle, said the Eagle Choice Awards continue to set new participation records each year. In 2025, nearly 10,000 ballots were cast across more than 90 categories, and she expects even greater participation in 2026.

“The tremendous response each year reflects just how much Lakes Region residents value outstanding service, exceptional products and the businesses that help strengthen our communities,” Carter said. “Because every Eagle Choice vote is cast by the public, these awards are a meaningful way for residents to recognize and thank the local businesses and merchants who consistently go above and beyond throughout the year.”

Kelly Mank, the owner and publisher of The Windham Eagle newspaper, says that the Eagle Choice Awards continue to reveal that outstanding customer service and trusted products are not overlooked by the community.

She said the Eagle Choice Awards not only celebrate outstanding local businesses but also introduce community members to hidden gems and trusted favorites they may not have discovered before, inspiring them to explore new connections and support businesses they might otherwise have overlooked.

“It’s all about giving people choices,” Mank said. “The Eagle Choice Awards highlight businesses that have earned the trust and support of the community, making it easier for residents and visitors alike to discover outstanding local businesses throughout the Lakes Region of Maine. Every vote cast is a reflection of the public’s confidence in those businesses and the impact they have on our communities.”

Carter said a few categories for this year’s voting have been revised. Voters are now able to cast ballots in separate landscaping and hardscaping categories instead of those services being combined into one category and this year a new chimney services category has been created.

“We do our best to stay as current as possible by adding new businesses to categories and deleting those businesses that are closed,” Carter said. “We welcome feedback to help improve ballot choices for the future. Voters always have the option to write-in a business that is not already listed if that’s what they want to do.”

Eagle Choice Award voters must cast ballots in at least 10 categories or more and must also include their email address when uploading or turning in a ballot for it to be valid and ensure that only one vote is cast by an individual. Email addresses collected during the Eagle Choice Awards competition are not sold or distributed to a third party.

Ballots are available in The Windham Eagle newspaper’s print edition this week. The ballots can either be mailed to the address listed on the ballot or a photo can be taken of it and uploaded by email to: [email protected]. The easiest and most popular way to vote is digitally online and can be found by visiting www.thewindhameagle.com/awards. <