the borda count is a family of single-winner election methods in which voters rank options or candidates in order of preference. the borda count determines the outcome of a debate or the winner of an election by giving each candidate, for each ballot, a number of points corresponding to the number of candidates ranked lower. once all votes have been counted the option or candidate with the most points is the winner. the borda count is intended to elect broadly acceptable options or candidates, rather than those preferred by a majority, and so is often described as a consensus-based voting system rather than a majoritarian one.