How Does STAR Voting Work in an Election?

STAR Voting works in two stages: voters score every candidate from 0 to 5 stars, then the two highest-scoring candidates advance to an automatic runoff where each ballot counts as one full vote for whichever finalist that voter scored higher. The candidate who wins that runoff wins the election. You can use this two-step process to understand any STAR election, whether it's a single-winner race or a multi-winner contest.

Step 1: Scoring your ballot

On a STAR ballot, you rate each candidate on a 0–5 star scale:

• 5 stars — your favorite candidate(s)
• 0 stars or blank — your last choice(s)
• Any score in between — everyone else, as you see fit
• Equal scores are allowed — you can give multiple candidates the same number of stars

The key difference from a traditional plurality vote is that you're not limited to one choice. You can fully support your favorite without worrying that doing so "wastes" your vote, because your ballot still carries weight in the second round.

Step 2: The scoring round

All ballots are tallied by total stars. The two candidates with the highest overall scores become finalists.

This is where STAR gets its name — it's Score Then Automatic Runoff. The scoring round narrows the field to two, but it doesn't decide the winner on its own.

Step 3: The automatic runoff

The runoff is a classic one-person, one-vote comparison between the two finalists. Here's the mechanism:

• Your ballot already shows which finalist you preferred (based on the scores you gave them).
• Your full vote automatically goes to the finalist you scored higher.
• You don't mark anything extra — the runoff is calculated from your original scores.

If you gave both finalists the same score, that ballot is typically treated as no preference between them.

Step 4: Determining the winner

The finalist with the most votes in the runoff wins. Because the runoff is majority-based, STAR tends to elect the candidate preferred by a majority of voters whenever possible — not just the one with the most first-choice support.

Quick reference

Why the two rounds matter

The scoring round lets you express honest preferences across the whole field, while the runoff ensures the winner has broad support rather than just concentrated support. According to starvoting.org, this design prevents vote-splitting, makes it safe to vote your conscience, and levels the playing field for voters who might otherwise feel disenfranchised.

How this differs from Ranked Choice Voting

STAR Voting and Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) both aim to reduce wasted votes, but they work differently:

• RCV asks you to rank candidates, then eliminates last-place candidates round by round until someone has a majority.
• STAR asks you to score candidates, then uses a single automatic runoff between the top two.

The practical difference: in STAR, your scores carry through to the runoff automatically, and you can give equal scores — something ranking doesn't allow.

What to check before your next STAR election

• Confirm whether the race is single-winner or multi-winner — the counting rules differ.
• Read the official voter guide for your specific election, since ballot instructions can vary.
• Remember that blank or 0-star scores still count as your lowest preference in the runoff.

For the full official explanation, videos, and case studies, see the resources at starvoting.org.