Blasey Ford, Kaepernick among poll choices for TIME's Person of the Year

Christine Blasey Ford is sworn in before testifying the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill September 27, 2018 in Washington, DC. Christine Blasey Ford is sworn in before testifying the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill September 27, 2018 in Washington, DC. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Blasey Ford, Kaepernick among poll choices for TIME's Person of the Year 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

Every year since 1927, TIME Magazine has selected a person or group of people — and sometimes inanimate objects — on which to bestow the distinction of "Person of the Year."

It's not necessarily an honor; the title generally goes to a person or thing that's made a significant impact on the world, for better or worse.

It's possible that may happen again in 2018 — TIME's pick hasn't yet been revealed — but the publication has nevertheless issued a public poll asking readers to vote for any of 55 people or things they believe is deserving of "Person of the Year." Per TIME, "the poll provides valuable insight and gives readers a chance to weigh in with their pick."

Among this year's choices on the poll are a number of Bay Area tech billionaires, athletes and political figures, but the local candidate with the most votes, at 4 percent of the total, is Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.

Blasey Ford, a professor of psychology at Palo Alto University, made headlines in the fall after she accused then-U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault when they were teenagers. A public hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee ensued, with both Blasey Ford and Kavanaugh giving testimony. Kavanaugh went on to be confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice.

Behind Blasey Ford is sometimes-resident and tennis star Serena Williams (who is married to SF local, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian) and activist and former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Both have netted 3 percent of the vote.

Impactful local directors Ryan Coogler ("Black Panther") and John Chu ("Crazy Rich Asians") also found positions lower down on the list, as did politicians Sen. Kamala Harris (D.-Calif.), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.), and tech CEOs Jack Dorsey (Twitter, Square) and Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook).

Leading the poll, however, is no person at all; it's Planet Earth. If Earth takes the title, ultimately decided on by TIME editors, it wouldn't be its first win. The "Endangered Earth" won in 1988. Behind Earth is K-Pop act BTS, followed by the Thai Cave Divers.

TIME Editors will reveal its pick for Person of the Year this month.

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.

