alternatively, votes can be counted by giving each candidate a number of points equal to the number of candidates ranked lower than them, so that a candidate receives "n" − 1 point for a first preference, "n" − 2 for a second, and so on, with zero points for being ranked last (or left unranked). in other words, a candidate ranked in "i"th place receives "n"−"i" points. for example, in a five-candidate election, the number of points assigned for the preferences expressed by a voter on a single ballot paper might be: