The IM.com Writers Poll is similar to that of a college football or basketball Associated Press (AP) poll which many of you may be familiar with. It consists of rankings for 10 bands in each ISSMA class decided upon by a panel of 8 Staff Writers. This poll will be used as a guide for any marching band fan, parent, alumni, staff, or member to utilize while enjoying a performance during the season. This poll is not meant to be strictly competitive, nor is it meant to influence adjudication panels at a particular contest. It is meant to be a reference for those groups which display a consistent high level of performance, and which deserve to be recognized on a weekly basis. Most importantly, it is meant to be FUN and to add excitement to the Indiana Marching activity!
 
How are the rankings determined?
 
Each voting member submits his/her top 15 bands *. The first place band receives 15 votes, the second place band receives 14 votes, the third place band receives 13 votes, and so on and so forth. Voting for 15 bands will now ensure proper representation of groups otherwise not listed within the Top 10 of the rankings, but generally close to the ranks who are seldom recognized. It is important to realize the poll consists of not only opinions, but insights, knowledge, first hand experiences, years of involvement in the marching activity, instructional positions, and the observation of both recent and past performances which allow the entire panel to vote in this poll as accurately as possible.

* New as of 2006, still utilized in 2007
 
What factors do you consider when ranking a band?
 
- Band Scoring
- Show concepts
- Included selections of a show
- Consideration of scheduling
- How they fared against ranked bands at a particular invitational
- Caption Awards
- Recent Performance Trends
- Potential of a show musically and visually
- Overall difficulty
- Overall execution
 
(Bold = strong/weighted factors)
 
What happens last?
 
All 8 writers selections are then combined and calculated accordingly to produce rankings for the top 10 bands in each class. First place votes are shown in orange between parentheses. All remaining votes are also given recognition beneath each poll as "Others Receiving Votes". Each week the staff will vote after the competitions conclude on Saturday evening into Sunday. A new poll will be officially issued every Tuesday morning with consideration given to the above mentioned, however, the poll will be pre-released every Monday evening in the IM.com Chat Room. Stay tuned to the Front Page of IndianaMarching.com for information regarding each poll pre-release.
  
What happens in the case of a tie?
 
Any ties which result will remain a tie unless the particular tie is for first place. In this case, the unit which has more first place votes overall will be ranked first. Generally, the likelihood of a top spot tie is minimal, however, if a circumstance such as this occurs or if there are 3 or more bands receiving first place votes and the number does not break the tie (i.e. 3, 3, 2, or 4, 4), then the rankings from past weeks will be taken into consideration, moving along to head-to-head competition, and finally last years final ranking on the Writer's Poll will be used if all of the above do not break the tie. Any rule changes in regards to the above procedures may be made by a general consensus agreed upon by the voting panel at any time. Keep updated with this page for more information.
 
Why are there more bands from one Regional than another?
 
It is especially important to realize the bands selected for the poll will not always result in even Regional distribution. The poll represents the top 10 overall strongest groups within the state. Since Regional lineups vary each season, it is impossible to choose "5 and 5" from the North and South. The exceptions to this rule will be the Regionals and State Finals polls.
 
What gives!? Why is my band never ranked?
 
While we will attempt to include as many bands as possible in our polls, please understand if we do not include a particular group or performing unit as you may feel should be given recognition. These polls are determined by an entire voting panel, quite like an adjudication panel at a particular contest. We understand not everybody will agree with our polls, and we encourage you to express your opinions.
 
How accurate are these polls anyway?
 
The poll achieved an 84% overall accuracy rating for the 2006 season. Combined with previous seasons dating back to 1999, the poll averages out to have just above an 87% cumulative accuracy rating.