How Super Dad Voting Works: A Round-by-Round Guide

Super Dad opens for public voting on September 8th, 2026. If you're competing, understanding exactly how the voting works matters as much as the dad jokes and DIY stories you're planning to share. Here's the complete breakdown, verified against the official contest rules.

Who Runs Super Dad and Where the Money Goes

Super Dad is operated by Colossal Management LLC, a Delaware-registered, for-profit professional fundraising company. Ace Hardware sponsors the winner's TV commercial airtime, and Adam Devine serves as brand ambassador — both are partnership roles, not operational ones. Colossal runs the competition entirely.

Every dollar donated through the platform goes first to Action Initiative Team (AIT), Colossal's registered 501(c)(3) charitable intermediary for this contest, which then grants the funds to Children's Miracle Network after competition fees of 36.5%, variable costs of up to 12.5%, and a 1% fee retained by AIT. Donors receive a tax-deductible receipt.

The 2026 Super Dad Round Schedule

Public voting begins September 8th, 2026. Here's the full schedule, per the official contest rules.

The Group Rounds: Top 20 Through Group Finals

• Top 20 runs September 8–17.
• Top 15 runs September 17–24.
• Top 10 runs September 24 – October 1.
• Top 5 runs October 1–8.
• Group Finals runs October 8–15, narrowing each group to one preliminary winner who advances to Quarterfinals.

Votes accumulate and carry forward throughout this entire phase. Group Finals is typically where donation-based votes become the deciding factor between competitors who are otherwise close on free votes alone.

Wildcard, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Finals

• Wildcard Round runs October 16–18 — a short round giving each group's second-place finisher one more shot. Votes reset to zero.
• Quarterfinals run October 19–29, with new groups.
• Semifinals run October 30 – November 5; groups reshuffle again, with one competitor per group advancing.
• Finals run November 6–12, with votes reset one final time.

The 2026 Grand Prize Winner is announced on or before December 10th, 2026.

How Votes Work

Every supporter can cast one free vote every 24 hours, after Colossal verifies their eligibility. There's no cost, and the window resets daily. Supporters 18 and older can also donate to cast additional votes — each dollar donated casts one vote while making a tax-deductible donation. Competitors cannot donate or cast paid votes for themselves; only free daily votes are available to the entrant.

What Your Ranking Actually Means

Every Colossal contest divides its contestants into groups before public voting begins, and Super Dad follows the same structure. Your profile shows your rank within your specific group, not across the entire competition — which is why you'll see other dads all claiming first place at the same time. They're all telling the truth about their own group.

Compete Smarter Before Your Next Thursday Cutoff

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