This poll uses an election process called Instant Runoff Voting in which candidates are ranked in order of preference (1st, 2nd, 3rd...). In the first round, candidates are disqualified if they don't reach a majority. If nobody earns a majority in the first preference round, the second preference is added in or disqualified, and so on, until a winner is declared with the majority of votes. The end result is that every ballot was counted only once and only one person wins the majority vote.

When used in an actual election, all votes are tallied at once and runoffs are performed "instantly" if necessary without the need for taking another vote.

This IRV poll, however, tallies ranked votes every time a member votes up until the poll is closed and the final ballot is counted for a final winner.

For more information on the IRV election process, visit FairVote:
www.fairvote.org/?page=19

See a Demo of IRV:
www.sfrcv.com/vote

More about these candidates at www.politics1.com