How votes are to be counted
42.—(1) This regulation sets out how votes are to be counted, in one or more stages of counting, in order to give effect to the preferences marked by electors on their ballot papers and so to determine which candidate is elected.
(2) Votes are allocated to candidates in accordance with electors’ first or sole preferences and, if by this allocation one candidate has more votes than the other candidates put together, that candidate is elected.
(3) If not, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and the ballot papers of electors whose first preference was that candidate are dealt with as follows:—
(a)each vote cast by an elector who also ranked one or more of the remaining candidates are reallocated to that remaining candidate or (as the case may be) to the one that the elector ranked highest;
(b)any votes not reallocated play no further part in the counting.
(4) If after that stage of counting one candidate has more votes than the other remaining candidates put together, that candidate is elected.
(5) If not, the process mentioned in paragraph (3) is repeated as many times as necessary until one candidate has more votes than the other remaining candidates put together and so is elected.