From the LETTERBOXD DOES THE OSCARS 2023 nominations voting, I have collated the entire vote count in a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet has a separate sheet for each category.
The full positions of every film in every category are included in the notes on this list.
Full spreadsheet of results is here.
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How the Votes Were Counted
The vote counting is a ranked choice voting system. It consists of many rounds of counting.
Round 1
Count the #1 choices on all voter ballots.
Calculate the "nomination number", which is the total number of ballots divided by the number of nomination slots available plus one. So in Best Picture this would be a division of 11 and in other categories divide…
From the LETTERBOXD DOES THE OSCARS 2023 nominations voting, I have collated the entire vote count in a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet has a separate sheet for each category.
The full positions of every film in every category are included in the notes on this list.
Full spreadsheet of results is here.
---------------
How the Votes Were Counted
The vote counting is a ranked choice voting system. It consists of many rounds of counting.
Round 1
Count the #1 choices on all voter ballots.
Calculate the "nomination number", which is the total number of ballots divided by the number of nomination slots available plus one. So in Best Picture this would be a division of 11 and in other categories divide by 6.
A "nomination number" must be rounded up, or have +1 added to it if it already a whole number. This is to ensure if it would be impossible for 6 nominees to achieve that number. So, for example, if votes / 6 = 100, then the "nomination number" is 101. If votes / 6 = 99.17, the "nomination number" is 100.
Also calculate the "surplus number". The "surplus number" = the "nomination number" + 20% of the total number of initial votes (in Best Picture, it is 10%). Or, in other words, the number of initial votes x (1/6 + 1/5). It is rounded up to a whole number.
Round 2
Rank the films by their number of #1 votes. Any film mentioned in total on less ballots than the current number of #1 votes which the film in 5th place has, is eliminated (use the film in 10th place for Best Picture). Clearly these films can never overtake the 5th place film.
For example, if the 5th place film is #1 on 100 ballots and another film is mentioned on only 80 ballots, it is eliminated. If a film is #1 on 80 ballots, but is mentioned on 120 ballots, it is not eliminated.
If a ballot has an eliminated film in #1, the film in #2 on that ballot becomes the new #1 on that ballot.
Round 3 onwards
First, check if any film has more #1 votes than the "surplus number". If that has happened, implement the "surplus rule".
So how does the "surplus rule" work? This rule is designed to not penalise voters who have picked a very popular choice. Without it, these voters would have essentially wasted the rest of their ballot. We give a fraction of their votes to the second choice films. When this "rule" is implemented, we reset the film's vote count to the initial "nomination number". This ensures it will remain nominated. The rest of the vote total is then proportioned out amongst the second choice films. So, for example, with 200 votes, the initial "nomination number" is 34 and the "surplus number" is 74. If a film reached 75 votes, we would reset its votes to 34 and every ballot with this film as #1 would give points to their #2 film. The #2 films would receive (75 - 34) / 75 = 41/75 = 0.55 points per vote.
The "surplus rule" is not invoked if a film passes the "surplus number" with a total including surplus points from another film. The film must pass the "surplus number" purely on current #1 choices. For example, if the "surplus number" is 74 and a film has 70 votes from #1 ballots and 10.23 votes from another film's surplus distribution, the film does not invoke the "surplus rule" even though the total 80.23 is greater than 74.
In most rounds no film hits the "surplus number". In this scenario, the film in last place is eliminated. Each ballot with that film listed as #1 now has their #2 film take its place.
If there are 6 films left, the top 5 are nominated. In Best Picture, this is 11 and the top 10 are nominated.
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Rankings
In the notes below, the films have a rank in each category. The rankings are determined by the following criteria.
1. How many rounds of voting they survived.
2. How many votes they had upon elimination / nomination.
3. Their number of votes in each previous round.
4. How many ballots mentioned the film at all.
5. How many ballots including the film at #2 (then #3, #4, #5 etc).