Every Nomination Counts!
The Best of Santa Barbara® is the Santa Barbara Independent’s annual readers' poll where our community chooses who is the best across 221 categories grouped into 11 sections.
To keep our shop as the premier choice in Santa Barbara for auto care, we need your nomination! Please take a quick moment to help support local businesses.
How to Cast Your Ballot:
Visit the Voting Portal
Click the official link or scan our in-shop QR code to access the nominations dashboard at bestof.independent.com.
Nominate Top Shop Automotive
Find the Auto Repair Shop category and enter "Top Shop Automotive". You can also nominate other fantastic local SB businesses you support!
Fill Out At Least 20 Categories
To ensure your nominations are successfully recorded and validated, the system requires you to vote or nominate in at least 20 different categories.
No "Submit" Button Required
Don't look for a final submit button! Your choices are recorded instantly as you go. You can even return to make changes anytime before the July 1 deadline.
Important Voting Timeline
Nomination Round
June 4 – July 1 (Ends at 11:59 p.m.)
This is where we lock down our official nomination spot. The businesses with the highest nominations advance to the final voting round.
Official Voting Round
July 30 – August 26
Once the official ballots are generated, voting opens up to select the final winners in each category.
Results Published
Thursday, October 22, 2026
The final winners will be printed and published in the annual Best Of Santa Barbara® issue!