in borda's original proposal, the number of points given to candidates for each ranking is determined by the number of candidates standing in the election. if there are five candidates in an election, candidates will receive five points each time they are ranked first, four for being ranked second, and so on, with a candidate receiving one point for being ranked last (or left unranked). in other words, where there are "n" candidates a candidate will receive "n" points for a first preference, "n" − 1 points for a second preference, "n" − 2 for a third, and so on, as shown in the following example: