Short explanation: so we can post a semifinal round to choose the best 3 stories from Groups 1-4.
Full explanation: see the
revised rules.
I simply used the "Close poll in X days" feature of the bulletin board, so the actual time of closings is semi-arbitrary -- it'll be just before noon, EST. The important thing is that the closing time is
known and stated at the top of each poll, so you know exactly how long you have to vote (or change your vote).
From here on in, polls will close 7 days after the posting of every fourth group. Does that make sense? Any questions?
(...And man, is this contest gonna take a long time for judging to complete. But I really couldn't think of a better way, short of posting all the stories at once and letting 'em overwhelm people.)