The first choice votes are sorted and counted. If the votes for any candidate equal or exceed the threshold, that candidate is the winner.

If no candidate receives the required number of votes to win, the candidates with the fewest votes are eliminated in a series of rounds.

The votes of the eliminated candidates are reallocated to the remaining candidates in accordance with the second and third choices marked on those ballots by the voters.

The rounds continue until one candidate has more than half of the votes or, when only two candidates remain, has more votes than the other candidate.