In Australia we don't have 'homecoming' or 'proms', but we do have a school ball. I didn't go to my school ball when I was a teenager as I left high school prior to the school ball occurring. We do have a 'belle' and 'beau' of the ball that gets crowned, however the students aren't allowed to vote and it is chosen by the teachers that attend. This generally means that we don't get the popular kid, but instead the kind of bland personalitied girls that I never liked at school.
What I would like to know is exactly what American kids are encouraged to vote based on? Is it based on who has the most charisma on the night? The person that has shown up looking the most beautiful? The person that manages to socialise with the most amount of people? Or is it something based on school spirit year round, not just at the dance?