A popularity contest is a real or attributed contest in which the sole criterion for winning is how many votes one gets, such that the winner is the most liked contestant. Although the phrase is often used disparagingly to suggest that some process is improperly based on popular appeal, the term historically referred to real contests sponsored by newspapers in late 19th century and early 20th century America. In 1914, the legality of these contests was challenged. A Kentucky appeals court ruled that popularity contests did not violate the state's lottery law.
References
"Miss M'Cauley Wins." The Washington Post 14 Jul. 1890. ("She was voted the most popular school teacher in the District... in the Sunday Herald's popularity contest....") ↩
"Teacher's Prize Trip to Hawaii." Hilo Tribune 10 Apr. 1906. ("Trips to Hawaii, as first prizes in newspaper popularity contests are evidently the rage.") ↩
"Contests Are Legitimate." Hopkinsville Kentuckian. May 21, 1914.[permanent dead link] http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=hopnews&cc=hopnews&idno=hop1914052101_sn86069395&frm=frameset&seq=1 ↩
Millsape v. Urban, 171 S.W. 1198 https://books.google.com/books?id=R18WAAAAYAAJ&dq=popularity+contest+law+newspaper&pg=PA41 ↩