The Hawkeye State might want to consider changing its nickname to something more feline in nature, because wow, Iowans sure do love their cats!
Readers submitted over 500 cats from all over Iowa, blowing our expectations out of the water. These cats are young, old, fluffy, sleek and from every walk of life you can imagine. Some have three legs, some have one eye, some have no fur at all. Every single one of them, however, is unique with its own story to tell. We’re thrilled that Iowans were willing to share their cats’ stories with us, and now with you!
We know you’re eager to get voting, so here’s how.
How do I vote for Iowa’s Cutest Cat?
With so many photos, we had to take a different approach. We have broken all the cute cats down into 4 groups. Each group will have its own poll to be voted in. The top 12 vote getters in each group will automatically proceed to the final bracket. The top remaining 16 vote getters across all groups will also proceed into the final bracket. The final bracket will be what you are used to seeing: 64 cats in head-to-head matchups, seeded based on total initial votes and automatic qualification.
For this initial round of voting, polls open at 6 a.m. Tuesday, July 14. Readers may vote as many times as they’d like, for as many cats as they’d like in each poll. Polls will close at noon on Sunday, July 19. The final bracket will launch 6 a.m. Tuesday, July 21.
Vote here for Iowa’s Cutest Cat
Best of luck to all of your furbabies! May the cutest cat win!
Gabriela Velasquez is an audience engagement specialist for the USA TODAY Network, working primarily with the Des Moines Register and Sioux Falls Argus-Leader. She thinks her cat Aayla is the cutest cat in the universe.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Voting is open! Vote here for Group 4 in Iowa’s Cutest Cat contest
Reporting by Gabriela Velasquez, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Gabriela Velasquez, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
