The votes are in, and Mathews County has come in fourth in BudgetTravel.com’s nationwide “Coolest Small Towns 2014” contest. 

But the contest isn’t over yet. Out of the 400+ localities nominated across the United States, Budget Travel will select 15 finalists based on diversity in geography, attractions, architecture and other criteria, with voters given another chance in a few weeks to pick their favorite.

The contest is geared toward towns with a population under 10,000 residents that have something special to offer visitors—a unique history, scenic views, exciting music, art galleries, good food, great shops, “or maybe something cool we haven’t even thought of yet,” the website stated.

Among the nominees, some localities were nominated more than once with different spellings (i.e., Matthews, Virginia vs Mathews, Virginia), and some didn’t appear to fit the population criterion (come on, Orl...