The count — how a STAR election is tabulated, step by step

STAR = Score Then Automatic Runoff. These pages walk the two rounds in order, then answer the questions the second round always raises.

• The Scoring Round — add up the 0–5 scores; the two highest totals become the finalists.
• The Automatic Runoff — each ballot counts as one vote for whichever finalist it scored higher; the finalist preferred by more voters wins. (Slide version for presentations.)
• STAR's hybrid nature — why one election uses both a scored round and a majoritarian round, and what each contributes.
• Second-round FAQ — "doesn't the runoff throw away my scores?" and the other recurring questions.
• Runoff percentages — how to read the runoff share honestly (decided voters vs. all voters vs. Equal Support).

Up: STAR concepts · see it on real ballots: runnable cases index.