Voting Tie Breakers

With each method described – plurality method, Borda count method, plurality with elimination method, and pairwise comparison method – the possibility of the method producing a tie is very real.

Tie Breakers (Arbitrary Choice) Breaking a tie can be achieved by making an arbitrary choice. Flipping a coin Bringing in an additional voter (For example, under Robert’s rules of order, the president of any group only votes when there is a tie or to create a tie.)

Tie Breakers (Other Methods) If a tie occurs using one method of voting, breaking the tie can also be achieved by using a different voting method. Important! To remain fair, the tie-breaking method must be decided upon in advance.

Tie Breakers (Other Methods) Examples: If a tie result from using the Borda count method, it could be broken by choosing the candidate with the most first place votes. If a tie results from the pairwise comparison method, it could be broken by choosing the winner of the one-to-one comparison between the candidates involved in the tie.