Miss Universe Pageant Playoffs

Miss Universe pageant for the year 2008 is just around the corner. With the Presentation Show on 8th July, Dress Rehearsal on 13th July and Final Show on 14th July, the days left before the crowning of the new ‘Miss Universe’ are just numbered. As the procedure goes, the participants will be divided evenly into 7 regions, initially. These regions will be:

After the division of the candidates, the voting will come into play. The judges will be able to rank and vote for their favorite contestants. After two rounds of voting, the Pageant Playoffs Top 20 will be determined. Thereafter, subsequent rounds of voting will be conducted, which will cut the number of finalists to a Top 15, a Top 10, and finally to a Top 5.

Counting of the Voting
Ranked ballots will be counted, using an instant runoff voting method. Judges will rank the candidates in the order of preference. If no candidate receives an overall majority of first preferences, the candidates with fewest votes will be eliminated one by one. Their votes will be transferred according to their second and third preferences and all the votes recomputed, till a single candidate achieves a majority.

Voting Rounds

Round 1 - After official photos of the contestants are released on the Miss Universe website, judges will rank the contestants in each region, in order of preference. The contestants placing 1st and 2nd in each region will automatically advance to the Pageant Playoffs Top 20. The contestants placing 3rd through 6th in each region will advance to Round 2.

Round 2 - Judges will rank the 28 contestants who were placed from 3rd to 6th in their respective regions, in order of preference. The top 6 contestants will advance to the Pageant Playoffs Top 20.

Round 3 - Judges will rank the contestants in the Top 20, in order of preference. The top 15 contestants in this round advance to the Top 15.

Round 4 - Judges will rank the contestants in the Top 15, in order of preference. The top 10 contestants in this round advance to the Top 10.

Round 5 - Judges will rank the contestants in the Top 10, in order of preference. The top 5 contestants in this round advance to the Top 5.

Round 6 - Judges will rank the contestants in the Top 5 in order of preference. This round will determine the playoff winner (Miss Universe) and runners-up.